Friday, March 15, 2013

How does HIV/ AIDS affect your Family?


HIV is known  as an illness that affects couples and families not only the individual. This is not only because the virus can be passed on from one person to another, but also because for every person infected with HIV, there is a family and community that are also affected.



  • In relationships, the diagnosis of HIV may reveal aspects of a person's behavior that they may have wanted to keep private. This may include infidelity or sexuality (such as male homosexuality) or intravenous drug use. This can result in feelings of guilt, blame and lead to a relationship breakdown.
  • If more than one person in their family has HIV it can add to the stress and financial part of this disease. 
  • If they are HIV positive and the news is kept hidden, there could be some discrimination among the close relatives. But to prevent this from happening; it's best to tell far family members and even the community to get the support they need. 
  • If a family has A child with HIV it can be very hard for them to tell the child about their disease. 
  • Problems can arise between religious or cultural belief. Because of either their partner situation and or medication. 
  • It can be hard for a parent to discuss their children's sexual behavior. This could have prevention implications for the next generation. 
  • Poor access to information can result in people not taking their medication as prescribed by their physician or not coming to the hospital regularly. People in families may disagree about the best course of treatment. 
  • The stress of living with HIV causes some people to suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
The most important information you need to know regarding your HIV or AIDS infection is to  know that you'll always have support. Either from far or close family members and especially your community. So keep your head up high and let us help you get through it. 



Site I used
  American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy 
www.aamft.org/.../Families_Living_with_HIV


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