Many women with HIV/AIDS use complementary or alternative therapies. Most complementary therapiesA broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies that Western (conventional) medicine does not commonly use to promote well-being or treat health conditions. Examples include acupuncture, herbs, Traditional Chinese Medicine, etc. operate from the perspective of seeing the body as a whole – taking a ‘holistic’ view.
This means the practitioner takes into account the inter-relationship of all body’s systems, as well the infl uence of mind, emotions and environment, when looking at an individual’s health concerns.
Many kinds of therapies come under the heading of ‘complementary’ or ‘alternative’ therapies, including:
- Acupuncture;
- Western herbal medicine;
- Homoeopathy;
- Traditional Chinese medicine;
- Massage;
- Bodywork or re-alignment techniques such as osteopathy or chiropractic.
A recent survey of HIV positive women in Australia found the most commonly used alternative therapies included massage, herbal medicines, meditation and visualisation, and vitamin supplementation.
Women use these therapies for a range of reasons, including:
- Health maintenance;
- To strengthen the immune system;
- To improve energy, tiredness or sleep difficulties;
- To help deal with the side effects of ARVA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. treatments such as nausea and
sleep difficulties;
- To help manage stress and anxiety;
- To assist with the relief of some HIV-related conditions such as pain in hands and feet or changes in menstrual patterns; and
- As an alternative to conventional medical treatments.
Many women will use both conventional (or ‘allopathic’) and complementary treatments at some point, sometimes alone or in combination with each other.
Treat Yourself Right
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