Promoting high standards of care for women living with HIV: position statement from the Women Against Viruses in Europe Working Group |
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| Authors: | JD Kowalska K Aebi‐Popp M Loutfy FA Post MJ Perez‐Elias M Johnson F Mulcahy Women Against Viruses in Europe Working Group |
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| Affiliation: | 1. HIV Out‐patients Clinic, Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland;2. Department of Adults’ Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland;3. Department of Infectious Diseases, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland;4. Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada;5. Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada;6. Department of Sexual Health and HIV, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK;7. Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Intituto de Investigación Ramón y RYCIS, Alcala de Henares University, Madrid, Spain;8. Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK;9. Department of Genito Urinary Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Saint James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland |
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| Abstract: | Objectives Gender‐related factors can influence management decisions, treatment outcomes and the overall long‐term wellbeing of people living with HIV (PLWH). The Women Against Viruses in Europe (WAVE) Working Group was established to promote the health and wellbeing of women living with HIV (WLWH). WAVE is part of the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) and organizes annual workshops to discuss different issues in the management of WLWH. Methods In 2016, 34 WAVE members including community representatives, HIV clinicians and researchers met to discuss standards of care for WLWH and to review current guidelines. Participants focused on three different themes: (1) access to and engagement and retention in care; (2) monitoring of women on antiretroviral therapy and management of comorbidities; and (3) review of EACS treatment guidelines. Results Five priority areas for optimizing the care of WLWH were identified: (1) psychosocial aspects of HIV diagnosis and care; (2) mental health and wellbeing; (3) pharmacokinetics, toxicity and tolerability of antiretroviral therapy; (4) coinfections and comorbidities; and (5) sexual and reproductive health. WAVE recommendations are provided for each of these areas, and gaps in knowledge and needs for changes in currently existing standards are discussed. Conclusions This position statement provides an overview of the key recommendations to optimize the care of WLWH that emerged during the 2016 WAVE workshop. |
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| Keywords: | antiretroviral therapy HIV mental health women Women Against Viruses in Europe (WAVE) |
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