The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's definition of an AIDS long-term survivor is someone who has lived at least three years after an AIDS diagnosis. Data from the late 1980s indicate a three-year survival rate of 15% to 20%, a rate that doubled in less than a decade. Despite the growing number of long-term survivors, little research has focused on how these persons cope with AIDS or on the impact of AIDS over an extended period. The author describes and gives examples of key nonmedical characteristics of AIDS long-term survivors and the special issues they bring to the therapeutic relationship. Suggestions for therapeutic interventions based on a client-empowerment approach are offered.
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