Founded in 1993, the Women’s HIV Program (WHP) at UCSF was the first program in the nation specifically designed for women and girls living with HIV.
Early in the epidemic, we realized that women presenting for care were very different from most of the men with HIV. For them to become healthy and empowered, WHP innovated a model of care that provides comprehensive female-focused health and social services to women, girls, and their families all under one roof. WHP is proud to be part of the national “Ryan White” network of primary care programs for people living with HIV. The “Ryan White” care system is particularly effective because it embraces interdisciplinary care of the whole person and invites community organizations into clinics to be our genuine partners in caring for each patient.
Recently, WHP has become a national demonstration site for trauma-informed primary care. This model acknowledges the profound health impact of trauma and integrates evidence-based methods to heal from past trauma and prevent further abuse as a core element of the clinic.
The care at WHP is genuinely holistic and addresses each patient’s mind, body and spirit. We use a team approach that includes the world-class medical resources of the University of California, San Francisco, considered the number one ranked hospital in the country for HIV care. This medical care is integrated with comprehensive psycho-social services and a community of other women and girls living with HIV.
