Changes in the AIDS epidemic in many areas of the United States require information about the experience of the growing segment of women afflicted. This study compared patterns of emotional distress between men and women with symptomatic HIV and examined potential predictors of different levels of vulnerability. A sample of 126 low socioeconomic men and women seeking care from HIV treatment centers was surveyed using measures of physical and psychological well-being. Women had more HIV symptoms, poorer functioning, and greater disruptions in physical and psychosocial well-being. Physical health status and optimism were primary predictors of emotional distress in both men and women. More than 50% of men and women had scores indicative of clinical anxiety. Approximately 1 out of 10 had clinically relevant scores for depression. Gender differences may provide potentially useful information for tailoring assessment interventions for emotional distress in people infected with HIV.
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