Love of a Dog or Cat Helps Women Cope With HIV/AIDS

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115523.htm

We think this finding about pets can apply to women managing other chronic illnesses," said Allison R. Webel set out to better understand how women manage their HIV/AIDS and stay on track to take their medications, follow doctors' orders and live healthy lifestyles. She conducted 12 focus groups with 48 women to find out what they did to stay healthy. The women had an average age of 42, about 90 percent had children, and more than half were single. "Pets -- primarily dogs -- gave these women a sense of support and pleasure," Webel said. Being a pet owner is just one social aspect of these women's lives. "We found the social context in which this self-management happens is important," Webel said.