A need exists for affordable, culturally appropriate symptom management interventions. Nursing will have a vital role in designing, testing, and offering such interventions.

Aerosolized pentamidine was effective for prophylaxis against PCP in patients infected with HIV, according to the dose and schedule of administration. It and zidovudine were well tolerated together and had independent prophylactic benefits.

There is an extensive informal system o f caregiving to people with AIDS (PWAs). Several features o f the caregiver-PWA relationships were examined, including education, age, and ethnicity. Although these structural characteristics have some influence on the formation o f caregiv ing relationships, they do not influence the scope o f assistance provided by the caregiver, which is more affected by the interpersonal features o f the caregiving relationship, particularly the closeness and intimacy it encom passes. The implications o f these findings for the future o f the informal caregiving systems are discussed.Advances in nutrition and medical technology prolong life of persons living with AIDS (PWAs) far beyond the point at which in earlier years death would have occurred. However, the prolongation of life does not necessari ly translate into the prolongation of self sufficiency. On the contrary, it fre quently means that chronically impaired persons, including those with AIDS, must draw on their social or informal networks for satisfying their basic needs. Studies of such informal caregiving relationships typically focus on family members (c.f., Light 8c Lebowitz, 1989; Zarit, Pearlin, 8c Schaie, 1993) because long-term assistance to the chronically ill is provided primar This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

Friends, partners, and relatives of persons with HIV/AIDS face significant challenges in providing for the emotional, physical, and practical needs of their loved ones. Moreover, the responsibilities of caregiving often disrupt work life, finances, living arrangements, and relationships with family and friends as well as tax the emotional and physical well-being of the caregiver. The author reports on the experiences of 642 informal caregivers to persons with AIDS in order to identify the type of care provided; the physical, emotional, and financial costs of caring for a loved one with AIDS; the resources available to assist caregivers; and the benefits of providing such care.

The public notification requirements of violations of maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in drinking water were evaluated through a scientific sampling of residents of 15 California communities. Each community had recently notified consumers of an MCL violation. The sampling assessed public awareness of the notification, the effects the media used had on awareness and knowledge of the problem and recommended solutions to the problem, and the attitude of the respondents regarding the notification requirement and its effectiveness. This assessment of the value of the requirement points to ways in which the stated objectives could be reached more successfully.