Delays in seeking HIV care due to competing caregiver responsibilities.
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.
Stein
M D
MD
Division of General Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. michael_stein@brown.edu
Crystal
S
S
Cunningham
W E
WE
Ananthanarayanan
A
A
Andersen
R M
RM
Turner
B J
BJ
Zierler
S
S
Morton
S
S
Katz
M H
MH
Bozzette
S A
SA
Shapiro
M F
MF
Schuster
M A
MA
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