Incorporating patients' views in planning services for women with HIV infection.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the preferences of HIV seropositive women for out-patient care facilities.
DESIGN: Cross sectional survey.
SETTING: An HIV out-patient clinic, a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic and a self support group for HIV seropositive women.
SUBJECTS: Fifty consecutive HIV seropositive women attending the out-patient clinic and 18 women attending the self support group.
RESULTS: Eighty percent of the women were comfortable in the HIV clinic. The discomfort felt by the remainder related to time spent in the waiting room. All the women reported feeling comfortable in the GUM clinic. However, 46% indicated a preference for a clinic attended only by female patients and 34% stated that they preferred only female staff. At the time of the survey only 61% of women attending the self support group were attending an outpatient clinic. An HIV clinic with integrated family planning, gynaecology, social workers and a creche was a universal preference expressed by these women. They also indicated a preference for female doctors (83%).
CONCLUSION: Women with HIV infection have clear views on the facilities which they would prefer to be available in regard to their out-patient care. In response to these wishes and particularly because of the high percentage of women not currently attending for outpatient care we have commenced a women only clinic.