ABSTRACT
In the post-HAART era, pain and symptom management associated with HIV infection have moved to the fore and the application(s) of palliative care have adapted to an extended disease trajectory (Harding et al., 2005; President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief [PEPFAR], 2006). Access to palliative and hospice care, however, remains largely unaddressed in resource-limited settings, such as rural areas of the southeastern United States or in developing nations where HIV-specific medical demands are high but services are scarce. Racial/ethnic disparities in their use are marked (Crawley et al., 2000), and HIV/AIDS stigma is a salient consideration (Foster, 2007). Drawing from experiences conducting HIV/AIDS research in the rural Deep Southern United States and borrowing from interventions used both in the U.S. and internationally, the authors describe and evaluate the state of palliative and hospice care for this unique population, as well as explore emerging issues of culture, diversity, and ethics in treatment provision. Gaps in knowledge, areas for future research, and implications for practice will be discussed as a guide to continued HIV treatment.
