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Abstract
Grandparent caregivers are vital to the survival of grandchildren who are orphaned and who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the meaning of HIV as a disease among grandparents raising grandchildren orphaned by HIV/AIDS in northern Vietnam and to gain insight into how this understanding affected grandparents' relationships and health-seeking decisions. Results indicated that grandparents had knowledge deficits about the biomedical aspects of the disease and often hid their grandchildren's HIV status or preferred not to seek testing. Effective interventions must address stigma reduction, family relationships, and access to health care to increase testing and treatment of grandchildren.
Notes
1. At this point in the interview, my interpreter and I decided that it would be unethical not to provide a basic understanding of HIV/AIDS and reasons for transmission after the interview. We also wanted to urge Thuy to get Dung tested and give her some resources for treatment. My interpreter, who worked for an NGO in Hai Phong that worked with communities affected by HIV/AIDS thought that it would be more appropriate if he intervened with HIV information, and I agreed. Below is a transcript from this conversation. The interpreter said, “I have to explain to you that only 30% of children who have a mother living with HIV will be infected from their mother, so I would like to highly encourage you to go get her tested to be sure. That way if she is negative, you no longer have to worry and if she is positive then you will be able to get her on the proper medicine, ARV.”