title: [Consensus statement on assistance to women with human immunodeficiency virus infection in the health care sector. National AIDS Plan (PNS) and AIDS Study Group (GeSIDA)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a consensus document on clinical recommendations for the health care of women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assembled a panel of experts appointed by the Secretariat of the National AIDS Plan and GeSIDA that included internal medicine physicians with expertise in the field of HIV infection, gynecologists, pediatricians and psychologists, and two panel members acting as coordinators. Scientific information was reviewed in publications and conference reports up to October 2012. In keeping with the criteria of the Infectious Disease Society of America, two levels of evidence were applied to support the proposed recommendations: the strength of the recommendation according to expert opinion (A, B, C), and the level of empirical evidence (i, ii, iii), already used in previous documents from SPNS/GeSIDA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We provide multiple recommendations for the clinical management of women with HIV infection, considering both the diagnostic and possible therapeutic strategies. The consensus recommends gender mainstreaming in health care, and promoting training for healthcare professionals in order to avoid gender bias. With currently available data it seems that the effectiveness of the treatment is the same in both men and women, there being no limitation as to the use of any antiretroviral for this reason. Women have more treatments suspended for reasons other than virological failure, thus they require better monitoring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This document presents recommendations for addressing women with HIV infection. This must be multidisciplinary, taking into account the differences that can be found in the diagnosis, disease development, and treatment between men and women.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods; D019468:Disease Management; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000453:epidemiology; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011627:Puberty; D063507:Sexism; D014754:Violence; D014930:Women
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones
keywords: Antiretroviral treatment; Gender; Género; Human immunodeficiency virus; Mujer; Sexualidad; Sexuality; Tratamiento antirretroviral; Virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana; Women