title: Delays in seeking HIV care due to competing caregiver responsibilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to describe the characteristics of HIV-infected persons who delay medical care for themselves because they are caring for others.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV-infected adults (n = 2864) enrolled in the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (1996-1997) were interviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The odds were 1.6 times greater for women than for men to put off care (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2, 2.2); persons without insurance and with CD4 cell counts above 500 were also significantly more likely to put off care. Having a child in the household was associated with putting off care (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4, 2.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women or individuals with a child in the household should be offered services that might allow them to avoid delays in seeking their own medical care.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. michael_stein@brown.edu
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crystal
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ananthanarayanan
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zierler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bozzette
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schuster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D017028:Caregivers; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016387:Women's Health