Vision of Life: A Lesson Learned from a 98-Year-Old Artist on World AIDS Day

A large percentage of HIV-infected pregnant women referred to our HIV Pregnancy Program are economically disadvantaged and underserved. Many of these women experience additional psychosocial stressors that include domestic violence, depression, substance abuse, and pregnancy-related dilemmas. The major challenge we face at the clinic is to provide appropriate interventions in a timely manner to minimize perinatal HIV-1 transmission and optimize maternal and fetal well-being. The medical urgency to ensure optimal patient care has led me to become more detached from our patients. The “humanistic” approach to patient care was an important lesson that I recently re-learned from a 98-year-old artist on World AIDS Day.