Prepared but unprepared: a qualitative study of provider perspectives on the preparation and adjustment of U.S. families who internationally adopt children with HIV

ABSTRACT

An increasing number of U.S. families are adopting children with HIV born outside the country. This exploratory qualitative study seeks to understand providers’ perspectives on international adoptee and family preparation and adjustment to life in the U.S. Eleven psychosocial and five medical care providers participated in hour-long, semi-structured, recorded interviews focused on their experiences caring for internationally adopted children with HIV (IACH) and their adoptive parents. Transcribed interviews were analyzed to identify emergent themes. Providers described considerable variation among families who adopted children. Some had grown biological children and several adopted multiple children with special needs. Most were connected to communities of faith which served as an inspiration to adopt and offered support. Serious medical and HIV-related issues were minimal. Psychosocial concerns were more common and included attachment, adjustment, and behavioral issues. Participants noted that adoptive parents were well informed about HIV, but less prepared for cognitive delays and emotional challenges. Some providers experienced or expected to have challenges offering sexual and reproductive health education to adolescents due to their adoptive parents’ religious beliefs on sexuality. Additional support managing behavioral and emotional challenges, as well as sexual education, may be needed especially as IACH transition into adolescence and young adulthood.

KEYWORDS:

• International
• adopted children
• HIV
• parents

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the providers for sharing their experiences caring for IACH and their families. Special thanks to Clyde Crowell for providing valuable editorial feedback on the manuscript and to Madi Piper for assistance with several interviews. Elon University’s Faculty and Research Development committee funded this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).