Publication Date

2010

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

HIV-positive youth-Psychology, HIV-positive children-Psychology, HIV-positive youth-Family relationships, HIV-positive children-Family relationships, HIV, Youth, Family, Perinatally acquired, African American HIV positive persons-Psychology, African American HIV positive persons-Family relationships

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how young adults with perinatal HIV infection understand and experience the concept of family and to elicit their perceptions of how "family" has helped or hindered their ability to cope with their illness. The sample was composed of young adults currently receiving primary care from the Johns Hopkins Intensive Primary Care Clinic (IPC) located in Baltimore, Maryland. The IPC clinic provides comprehensive medical care and psychosocial support for over 200 children and youth with HIV infection from birth to 24 years. The majority of the patients come from low socio-economic ethnic minority communities in Baltimore City. All patients in the clinic were English speaking. The sample included 12 perinatally HIVinfected adolescents, ranging in age from 18 to 24. Three fourths of the participants were female. All participants self identified as African American. All participants consented to partake in one interviews composed of a series of open-ended questions. All interviews were conducted in the outpatient medical clinic setting.

Language

English

Comments

iii, 41 p. Thesis (M.S.W.)-Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2010. Includes bibliographical references (p. 34)

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