The Roadmap for Women and Girls* Living with HIV promotes health and well-being across each life course. Flourishing with HIV is possible and quality care can be yours! As you know, each phase of a woman and girl’s life presents a unique set of experiences and considerations.

In addition to the factors above, it is important to acknowledge the impact of institutionalized racism, sexism, and classism in the ability to equitably access resources and how systems of oppression affect well-being. This also includes biological histories, the impact of institutionalized oppression on mental wellness, systemic barriers, and inequitable access to a quality standard of living and health resources, and complexity of each life stage and their contribution to our ability to thrive and live in harmony.

This resource is for women and girls* by women to bring community, resources, and support to empower you to flourish – no matter where or what stage of life you are currently!

*Women and Girls: Throughout this resource, women and girls is inclusive of women and girls of trans experience and non-binary individuals. 
*This resource is for anyone who identifies with, relates to, or wants to learn more about the life course of a woman flourishing with HIV.

Life Course Definition

The Life Course Perspective offers a way of looking at health, not as disconnected stages unrelated to each other, but as an integrated continuum. This perspective suggests that the many facets of life contribute to health outcomes across the course of one’s life. It builds on public health and social science literature which highlight the influence of each stage of life on the next and shows how social, economic, and physical environments interact to have a profound impact on individual and community health.

Approach for Project

Key Components of the Roadmap:

  • Storytelling
    • Intergenerational— HIV & Aging, HIV across the life course
    • What did other women, like you, experience at this point in their care journey? What did their experiences look like?
    • Community input in the process of creating the roadmap is KEY
  • Science
    • Bring recommendations and guidelines to women about what care and treatment they should be receiving from their providers
  • Stories + Science
    • Bring stories and science together at each point in the life course to better equip women to take control of their health and the care they receive

Vision

A virtual tool that bridges stories and sciences to empower and educate persons living with HIV and those in their lives through lived experiences and resources to support optimal health and wellness over the life course.

 

 

Purpose

Details of Roadmap:

  • Detailing health and wellness over the life course, not just during the reproductive age years
  • Covers all aspects of healthcare: mental health, sexual health & education, reproductive health care, etc.

Guiding Questions for Development:

  • Over the life course,
    • What do we look for in care? (what do patients want?) (aspirational)
    • What do we expect in our care? (what do patients have as a basic expectation?) (minimum)
  • What does…
    • Treatment look like?
    • Contraception look like?
    • Sexual education look like?
    • Community feel like?

Audiences

Primary Audience:

  • Women & Girls*
*Women and Girls: Throughout this resource, women and girls is inclusive of women and girls of trans experience, transgender persons, and non-binary individuals. 
*This resource is for anyone who identifies with, relates to, or wants to learn more about the life course of a woman flourishing with HIV.

Additional audiences:

  • Persons living with HIV,
  • persons caring for those living with HIV,
  • care providers for persons living with HIV