ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) on the farmworker community in general, and farmworking women of childbearing age and their children specifically. One group of women who may be at particular risk for HIV infection is farmworking women. HIV infection among farmworking women of childbearing age can potentially devastate farmworker families, not only because HIV can be transmitted to their children but also because farmworking women are usually the primary caretakers in the family system. Information on demographic characteristics and migration patterns of farmworking women and their families is limited due to the transitory nature of farm work and the lack of data collection mechanisms. Available data indicate that the number of women laboring in agriculture is increasing. Research on HIV/AIDS among farmworkers, which has predominantly focused on males, has found rates of HIV/AIDS higher than those in the general US population.
