Women's HIV Program

Ruth Greenblatt, MD, Program Founder, describes how care designed for HIV+ women came to be.

Now in its 19th year, the Women’s HIV Program at UCSF (WHP) has provided comprehensive health and social services to women and families living with HIV/AIDS in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was among the first programs in the country dedicated to HIV+ women and is a national model of care for this vulnerable population. The Program provides service to women from all backgrounds and income levels. However, over 80% of our clients are African-American or Latina and, for them, HIV is often only one of several major health or social issues they face.

WHP seeks to overcome these challenges through a comprehensive, culturally sensitive, array of family-focused programs, all conveniently housed in a safe space under one roof. These services include HIV-expert primary care, gynecological and obstetrics services, onsite pediatricians and child care, comprehensive social work and case management, therapy, and a City-wide sexual health and personal empowerment program.

The Mission of WHP is to provide underserved HIV+ women and families with the community, resources, and care to become and stay healthy and successful in their lives. In this way, WHP innovated a model of care that has helped hundreds of disadvantaged HIV+ women start, and stay on, the life-saving anti-HIV medications and become safe, healthy, and successful in their lives.