Children’s Experiences of Living with HIV-Positive Parents Within the Family Context of Bangladesh

Md Shahidul Islam, John Scott, Victor Minichiello - Children and Young People Living with HIV/AIDS, Part of the series Cross-Cultural Research in Health, Illness and Well-Being

Abstract

The representation of HIV/AIDS as a sexual and self-inflicted disease has drawn popular and scholarly attention to stigmatized populations. Little is known about the experiences of children with HIV-positive parents. This study reports on children’s experiences of living with HIV-positive parents within the family context of Bangladesh. A qualitative research design using in-depth interviews with 19 HIV-positive and HIV-negative children was undertaken. The results indicate that children felt high levels of psychological distress after learning of their parents’ HIV diagnosis. Children frequently recalled social interactions, including with family members, who held negative attitudes like kharaplok (bad person) and kharapkaj (bad work) towards their HIV parents, which created unusual problems for children. They recounted the various social issues they confronted when negotiating stigma within the family and the community and strategies for negotiating such encounters. The findings of the study suggest that children’s social and personal development could be impaired by their parents’ HIV status and the social stigma and discrimination associated with it and that urgent support interventions are required to address such stigma.