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Housing and Homelessness

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Abstract

More than 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Half of new infections are among people 25 years old and younger. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that housing in addition to food, clothing, and medical care are basic human rights. HIV/AIDS is unique because it deprives families, communities, and entire nations of their young and most productive people. Risk factors such as gender, stigma, and homophobia impact both housing stability and HIV/AIDS contraction. Fifty-eight percent of the world’s HIV/AIDS cases are among women, who represent the majority of the world’s poor and suffer disproportionately from inadequate housing. In addition, men who have sex with men (MSM) are the group most at-risk of HIV infection across the globe. Homelessness and unstable housing are strongly associated with greater HIV risk, inadequate health care, poor health outcomes, and early death. Studies have indicated that stable housing eases the burden of care and support and optimizes health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their families.

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Correspondence to Vanessa A. Forro .

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Forro, V.A. (2013). Housing and Homelessness. In: Loue, S. (eds) Mental Health Practitioner's Guide to HIV/AIDS. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5283-6_48

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