ABSTRACT
Barlett and Finkebeiner (1991) notes that being diagnosed H I V positive or as having AIDS assaults our plans for the future, the principles by which we make decisions, who we think we are, and changes how we live and the relationships that support us. As health care professionals, we can help African-American women living with HIV infection or AIDS by understanding their personal fears, which are intensified by the uncertainties that this disease produces. We also must accept the very real historical relationship that African-American women have had with health care institutions and validate their feelings as they navigate through the myriad of health and social services. We must also acknowledge that biases do exist in our agencies. We must be vigilant in eradicating those biases from infecting our own practice and, when necessary, seek out consultation and critical evaluation to improve our services. African-American women are dying in great numbers. As professionals and as human beings we must critique ourselves and ask: Are we doing enough?