10.2190/BACM-GF7X-LGAM-QRER BACMGF7XLGAMQRER 281 CHARACTERISTICS OF POLIO SURVIVOR SELF-HELP ORGANIZATIONS 281 298 20060201 20060201 20060201 20060201 BACMGF7XLGAMQRER.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=BACMGF7XLGAMQRER 4 G. SAM SLOSS SANDRA S. FRENCH Indiana University SE, New Albany While polio has been largely eliminated from the developed world, millions of survivors suffer not only the direct effects of this disease but many face new obstacles 20 to 40 years after "recovering" from the initial viral infection. With few of today's doctors familiar with how polio affects the body, survivors have created self-help groups for social support and to disseminate the most recent information on what is commonly referred to as "post polio syndrome" or "post polio sequelae." Post polio groups differ from other health focused groups like cancer and obesity, in that they do not have a new pool of potential members from which they can recruit. 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