What other special cultural issues affect patients infected with HIV?
Minorities are disproportionately affected by HIV, and many people of color with HIV disease have major socioeconomic problems such as poverty, homelessness, lack of medical insurance, lack of acculturation, and undocumented immigration status. All of these can make accessing health care difficult and attending to health problems less of a priority. A patient’s cultural background influences health beliefs and behaviors, and the effectiveness of provider-patient communication may affect compliance with therapy. In addition, prior adverse experiences may make some patients distrustful of medical care. For all of these reasons, providers should do the following: • Carefully explore what each patient believes about his or her health, what would be appropriate treatment, and who should be involved in medical decision making. • Use professional interpreters to help overcome language barriers. • Use case managers to help overcome social barriers.
