The WIHS Study in DC

One of the longest-running HIV/AIDS Research studies in history, August marked the 13th year of the WIHS Study. The study began in 1993 in an effort to better understand how HIV affects women in the United States.

2,635 Women were enrolled in the beginning of the study. Another 1,143 women enrolled in 2001 and 2002. These women are from the greater Washington DC Area and other WIHS Research sites around the country.

Every six months participants in the WIHS study participate in a follow-up visit, where they have a medical examination and provide information about their medical history, substance use, sexual behaviors, and a variety of other information. Some participants are involved in sub-studies which require additional information or tests. WIHS sub studies have looked at areas including cardiovascular health and metabolic functioning.

To date, over 290 papers have been published as a result of data collected in the WIHS study. This study has greatly expanded our knowledge of HIV in women.

Community Involvement in the WIHS STUDY

The WIHS Study incorporates community input through the WIHS National Community Advisory Board (NCAB). Our Washington, DC representatives to the NCAB are Kim Kelsey and Kathy Moore. The purpose of the National Community Advisory Board is to:

• Provide ongoing community, scientific, psycho-social and political input to the national WIHS agenda
• Assure that WIHS participants are representatives of the community at large
• Inform, educate and support these participants over time
• Help design mechanisms to assure access of HIV infected/infected women to WISH research sites and retention of these participants over time
• Advocate for adequate research funding, to allow the full WIHS research agenda to be fulfilled
• Provide support for local community advisory boards and encourage involvement at the local level
• Facilitate translation of WIHS-related information to the community
• Represent and be accessible to community members for WIHS related concerns

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In Their Own Words

Being part of the WIHS study and the WIHS National Community Advisory Board has been an exciting experience for Washington DC residents Kim Kelsey and Kathy Moore.

Kathy Moore writes: I have gained a lot of experience since joining this study. I have received a much needed lift in my self-confidence by having to speak in front of an audience. The conference calls have encouraged me to study further about HIV/AIDS, women, and our health issues. The Project Directors and the Principal Investigators on our conference call break things down so that the NCAB can understand those things that are above our heads. We are encouraged to ask any questions that we have and to voice our opinions.

Kim Kelsey writes: I’ve learned advocacy. I’ve learned public speaking. I’ve gotten the opportunity to travel. I’ve gotten a lot of education and information about HIV. When I first found out I was positive it made me very suicidal. I wanted to jump off a bridge. I was pregnant at the time. I was worried about my child – is my child going to be infected? But my child wasn’t infected. So I got educated and learned you can live longer and that’s when my life began to change.

WIHS Washington DC Metropolitan Consortium

• Georgetown University Medical Center: Mary Young, MD Principal Investigator
• George Washington University Medical Center: Sylvia Silver, DA
• Whitman-Walker Clinic: Kunthavi Sathasivam, MD
• Montgomery County Health Department: Carol Jordan, RN, MPH
• Inova Health System of Northern Virginia: Peggy Beckman, RN, C.A.N.P
• Community Advisors: Kimberly Kelsey, Kathy Moore