Women and AIDS: the evolution of an epidemic.

AIDS has only recently been recognized as a disease of women. The impact of this epidemic among the female population goes far beyond studies of contagion and prognosis. The ANA's response to the AIDS epidemic, Personal Heroism, Professional Activism: Nursing and the Battle Against AIDS (Bennett, Champlain, Grimaldi, 1988), has been to marshal the forces of nurses as caregivers, advocates, educators, and policymakers. This manuscript examines the evolution of the AIDS epidemic and its impact on women in our society. Statistics from the greater New York City area and New York state are used as a predictive microcosm for epidemiological trends in the contiguous US. Some thought is given to further evolution of the disease given present treatment modalities. Following the commitment to excellence first noted by the ANA, nursing's response to emerging trends in the epidemiology of AIDS is examined.