Comments from the Clients

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I love everything about this study.  Maribel is great and I hope she never leaves.

Donna Williams is very good at her work.  Maribel is the very best worker of all.

I am very satisfied with the work here at the Women's Study.  The staff treats me with great respect and honor.  They treat me like I am a human being.  I am very happy!

I enjoy coming here.  I am very comfortable with Maribel and Donna.  They both are wonderful to me.  We're lucky to have them in the study.

People here have been really nice.  I am happy that Maribel interviewed me this time because she had called my mom when I was having problems and she really helped my mom and me.  I am happy to have a place where I can get health care where people are nice and know what they're doing.  I am happy to get $$ I need.

Everybody treats me very well and I love them.  Thank you.

Positive: (1) this study is very helpful to me especially updating my history towards medical procedures.  (2) The staff is very helpful.  Negative:  (1) I just had a problem with coming back to my appointment.  I understood because you were in the process of moving.

The staff of WIHS gave me a chance to find out what really was wrong with me.  I owe my life to them.  I want to thank them each and every one of them!

I like coming to the women's study.  When I come, if I am not in such a good mood, by the time I leave I am.  WIHS has a very friendly and pleasant staff.  I really appreciate their confidentiality.

I am a transsexual.  A female-to-male transition.  My gender change was accepted and handled without judgmental actions.  I'm grateful to the staff for being caring and generous in this respect.  Thanks you so much!

This was my 5th visit for the WIHS study and EVERY time I come I feel more like I am visiting with friends instead of some cold impersonal clinic visit.  I want to tell you that this is very much appreciated.  Thank you.

I value the WIHS study and feel virtuous, like I am helping other women with HIV.  Also, the money really helps me through the month.  I am on disability and need extra money to make me feel welcome.  Sometimes it's hard to set up an appointment.  We play phone tag a lot.  I am in the Oral part of the study, also the anal part of the study.  I feel that I am getting thorough medical information that I might not otherwise receive.

Jill and Rochelle, Thanks for coming out to Laguna Honda.  That was a very nice thing to do.  You two are very easy to work with.  Thanks.  It was a joy to do the interview with you.  Thanks.  Looking forward to the next one.

Hey ladies--remember that extra $20 Debbie offered you to "put a Q-tip in your butt and swish it around"?  Well, thanks to that sub-study (the anal cancer study), I learned I have severe to moderate anal dysplasia.  Whoever heard of anal dysplasia? What's so amazing is none of my friends, many of whom are at risk due to a history of anal sex, have never heard of it either.  I'm not thrilled about the treatment for this problem (surgery), nor do I like getting quarterly follow-up visits, and I am also very happy I didn't end up with anal cancer at the age of 45 or 50.  I guess that's the magic of the WIHS study--my greed ended up paying off.  Thanks WOMEN!

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