Every Mother's Daughter

This story marks an important new departure in AIDS literature. It is not about gay men or drug users, but a 20-year-old young woman who has contracted HIV from a boyfriend and suddenly has to face an uncertain future. When Sheila was diagnosed HIV positive, her life changed dramatically. Here she describes how she found out, how her friends and family responded to her shocking news and how she is slowly coming to terms with the fact that she might develop full blown AIDS any day. Her experience also challenges medical and counselling services which are still geared towards helping gay men and drug users. Sheila's needs and those of other women like her, are quite different.