Is there a silver lining in this cloud? Future expectations of adolescents with human immunodeficiency virus

Future expectation of adolescents with HIV

Abstract

Background and Objective: The life span of the children living with Hiv/AIDS has increased with the invention of Retroviral drugs. As they are entering in to late adolescents and early adulthood, it becomes necessary to understand their expectations. The study aimed to explore the future expectations among the adolescents with HIV/AIDs. Materials and Methods: An exploratory study design was adopted for the study. Semi structured interviews were undertaken with adolescents and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the results. The universe of the study were HIV infected adolescents who are registered in the Pediatric ART Centre and are coming for follow up in Indira Ghandhi Institute of Child Health Hospital, Bangaluru. Results: Emergent themes demonstrated that, the adolescent with HIV/AIDS are concerned regarding their future. The themes emerged from the study was knowledge about the illness, physical health, future expectations about career and relationship and social support. Conclusion: Lives of the children adolescents being infected by HIV/AIDS, unlike those of their counterparts are complicated with stigma, adjustment problems, and many other psychosocial issues. While studies done in India bring to light the adjustment problems of these children, they fail to look at their future expectations and their dreams for them.