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This paper explores the obstacles and opportunities experienced by a diverse group of persons living with HIV and AIDS in accessing medical and social services. A social networks approach is used to analyse data from 56 in-depth interviews conducted with persons living with HIV and AIDS in Orange County, California. From this analysis, the service pathways by White/Caucasian gay men, Latina/Hispanic women who speak only Spanish, and injecting drug users of diverse ethnicities are used to illustrate the influence of race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation on service access. Implications for service provision and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on preliminary efforts to study at the census tract level the reciprocal relationship between AIDS and street crime, particularly prostitution and drug offenses and the prevalence of AIDS in Los Angeles County, California. Epidemiologists who study AIDS have, by and large, neglected the census tract as a useful analytical unit. And, while IV drug use and perhaps prostitution are related to the spread of AIDS, one might wonder, in addition, whether the nature and extent of narcotics use, prostitution, and related crimes such as burglary would change as IV drug users and prostitutes become concerned about contracting AIDS, or actually develop AIDS symptoms. The results presented below, however, focus primarily on drug use and prostitution as AIDS "risk factors." For reasons described later, data are not yet available to explore the "feedback" impact of AIDS on drug use, prostitution, and other kinds of street crime. Nevertheless, some of the key substantive issues in the feedback process will be briefly discussed. Given the ways in which AIDS may be transmitted, the course of the epidemic is now being increasingly shaped by intravenous drug use and, perhaps, prostitution. Likewise, intravenous drug users may switch to drugs that need not be injected or may more readily seek out drug treatment programs.

This article presents the results of a study which examined the sexual behavior of lower-income black women and teenage girls in San Francisco, California. It is worth noting that black women comprise 52% of women with AIDS, yet there is minimal development of prevention efforts geared to needs of black women. The comments of participants in this study suggest that traditional sexual roles, which permit men to have sexual freedom but censure women for the same activities, are still operating in the black community. A major problem in relationships between men and women is the lack of effective communication about sexual practices, particularly the use of condoms when partners are not mutually monogamous. The communication difficulties are aggravated by imbalance of power between the sexes, as well as dramatic shifts in the economy of the black community. Suggestions are made for effective AIDS prevention programs, based on improved communication in the context of efforts to rebuild communities.

This article presents a debate between two prominent Los Angeles law firms. The issue under consideration is the responsibility of a psychotherapist in notifying individuals at risk for exposure to HIV. Both law firms were presented with a fictional case involving a psychotherapist and a client with AIDS. The client with AIDS is a heterosexual married man who first tested HIV positive, and eventually developed AIDS. The transmission of HIV was presumably the result of a gay affair. However, despite the psychotherapist's constant urging, the client refused to inform his wife about his affair, his antibody status, or his disease. When the wife eventually learned of her husband's illness, she brought suit against the psychotherapist via the Tarasoff ruling. For the purposes of this debate, the law firm of Girardi, Keese and Crane have represented the wife (Plaintiff), whereas the law firm of Cooksey, Howard, Martin and Toolen have represented the psychotherapist (Defendant). Initial arguments, as well as rebuttals, are presented herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]