Awareness programs, the de-marginalization of women, and the availability of protective forms of contraception (i.e. condoms) are all factors that can reduce the spread of HIV / AIDS, and this could have helped to prevent Love's infection with the virus (Healthlink 2009). This would also, of course, have helped to protect her son. Now that she has the virus, regular checkups at clinics and attendance at support groups can help her mitigate and deal with the effects. Medicines for the treatment of HIV / AIDS can be quite expensive, however, leading to yet another major social problem -- affordable healthcare. The availability of effective and affordable healthcare -- or rather the lack thereof -- is also a major barrier in dealing with the psychological factors affecting both Love and Diane. Diane is seeing a therapist, and this has certainly helped her to overcome her feelings of depression and guilt to the point that she can be an effective mother, but Love does not appear to be receiving the same benefit, and certainly didn't during her time in foster care. Again, preventative measures such as psychological care during foster care would have been the most effective in dealing with Love's psychological problems, as many foster children exhibit severe mood and emotional problems during their childhood and later in life (AACAP 2009). Intensive counseling for her individual issues stemming from her foster care experience, and possibly play-therapy sessions or something similar to help with her relationship with her son could be effective.

Obviously, dealing with the social issues that crop up in this situation is key to dealing with the biological and psychological factors as well. Without proper social infrastructures in place providing medical and psychiatric care, people with limited resources such as Diane, Love, and much of the rest of the nation will simply not be able to access the care they need to either prevent or treat these problems. Addressing the social issues at work...

The socioeconomic divide that exists in this country along racial lines must be addressed if the noticeable racial imbalance in other issues such as crack-cocaine addiction and HIV / AIDS cases are to be eradicated (Ploscowe 2009; Healthlink 2009). Education levels and access to awareness programs is more difficult in low-income areas, just as access to drugs and disease is easier, and this has played a major part in shaping the situation in Love and Diane.
The future is always a little uncertain, and it is far more so for the people we are introduced to in Love and Diane. There are major biological, psychological, and above all social issues that Diane, Love, and the rest of the Hazzard family will have to overcome in order to move on and establish a more secure life. Without the proper available assistance, however, it isn't certain that this will be accomplished. The social problems that need addressing cannot be tackled by the individuals alone if there is to be any real hope for success; these issues will require the collective action of our society as a whole in order to correct them.

References

AACAP. (2009). "Foster care." American academy of child and adolescent psychiatry. Accessed 30 September 2009. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/foster_care

Cohan, S. 92009). Crack realities. Accessed 30 September 2009. http://www.crackreality.com/default.htm

Dworkin, J. (2004). Love and Diane.

Healthlink. (2009). "AIDS action." Accessed 30 September 2009. http://www.aidsaction.info/hsm/section1.html

Ploscowe, M. (2009). "Drug addiction: Crim or disease?" Schaffer library of drug policy. Accessed 30 September 2009. http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/LIBRARY/studies/dacd/appendixa_8.htm