Carol Poore recalls how commonly women do not show up for their HIV/AIDS doctors appointments.
Carol Poore:
Nationally the no-show rate for an AIDS service organization is about 25% and I think that that is non-discriminating – it’s either women or men. It is one out of four people simply don’t show up for their appointments and that’s a very high percentage. So at our agency we double-call; we tell people we are excited to see them. We really roll out that red carpet of love and compassion to remind people and they are very appreciative when we call.
Many people do forget their appointments, but I think for women especially, and women with HIV and AIDS there are so many complicating factors. They may not feel very well; they may be in a domestic violence situation at home; they may not have a big support infrastructure so they tend to be supporting everyone else in their lives and they deny themselves.
And so we work especially hard with women to let them know that their taking care of their personal health has got to come first and then they can be a great mom, a great friend, a great teacher, a great wife, but if they don’t get to their own appointments they could easily fall back and be in the hospital.
About Carol Poore:
Carol A. Poore is president and CEO of Phoenix-based Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, the oldest and largest nonprofit HIV/AIDS research, clinical trial and education resource center in the U.S. Southwest. As president and CEO of Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, Poore leads clinical trial research operations, educators, and a community outreach team including more than 300 volunteers, leading strategy and partnership with the U.S. Southwest’s biomedical research and community-based healthcare organizations.
Visit Carol Poore at the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS
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