HIV-infected parents and their children in the United States

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the number, characteristics, and living situations of children of HIV-infected adults. METHODS: Interviews were conducted in 1996 and early 1997 with a nationally representative probability sample of 2864 adults receiving health care for HIV within the contiguous United States. RESULTS: Twenty-eight percent of infected adults in care had children. Women were more likely than men to have children (60% vs 18%) and to live with them (76% vs 34%). Twenty-one percent of parents had been hospitalized during the previous 6 months, and 10% had probably been drug dependent in the previous year. Parents continued to have children after being diagnosed with HIV: 12% of all women conceived and bore their youngest child after diagnosis, and another 10% conceived before but gave birth after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and support services for people affected by the HIV epidemic should have a family focus.

Health-Related Quality of Life Dynamics of HIV-positive South African Women up to ART Initiation: Evidence from the CAPRISA 002 Acute Infection Cohort Study

“…However, maximizing HRQoL and improving well-being aspects of quality of life among this population, means looking beyond biological markers and the provision of ART alone as being sufficient for an intervention. Women living with HIV compared to HIV-positive men often face different types of life challenges and responsibilities, including lower education [37], transportation challenges to accessing HIV care [38], and having children [39]. Power imbalance in negotiating condom use to partners in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa [40] is also recognized as one of the factors in contributing to the transmission of HIV/AIDS in this region.…”

Efficacy of an Intervention for Families Living with HIV in Thailand: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The focus on immediate survival from an acute infection has gradually shifted to an increased awareness for living with a protracted illness, and improvements in the quality of life (QoL). As perceptions and treatment procedures have evolved, HIV-related issues were also becoming a prolonged or lifetime challenge for people living with HIV (PLH) and their family members [1–5]. Recent studies on PLH in Thailand suggested that familial factors, such as family relationships and functioning, influenced QoL [6, 7].…”

Family-Based Processes Associated with Adolescent Distress, Substance Use and Risky Sexual Behavior in Families Affected by Maternal HIV

“…In the United States, 28% of adults infected with HIV are parents (Schuster et al, 2000). Among families affected by parental HIV, research consistently has shown the significant effects of maternal HIV status and distress on adolescent outcomes (Bauman, Silver, Draimin, & Hudis, 2007; Biggar et al, 2000; Forehand et al, 1998; Lester, Stein, & Bursch, 2003; Rotheram-Borus, Lee, Lin, & Lester, 2004; Rotheram-Borus, Stein, & Lester, 2006).…”