Asian Nursing Research  2014;8(3):226-231

doi:10.1016/j.anr.2014.08.001

Experiences of Caregivers in Healthcare for and Social Support of HIV Positive Children Attending Schools in Bangkok.

Duangkamol WATTRADUL 1 ; Ankana SRIYAPORN

Affiliations

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Keywords

AIDS; caregivers; child; HIV; narrative research

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

PURPOSE: The study was conducted to explore caregivers' experiences and perceptions of barriers to their children receiving appropriate healthcare and support at schools in Thailand. METHOD: A qualitative narrative study was conducted to achieve the aim stated above. Twenty caregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS attending schools in Bangkok were interviewed in depth. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analyzed using narrative analysis. RESULTS: The analysis indicated that caregivers fear discrimination, suffer from stigma and most do not reveal their child's HIV status to schools. Obstacles to children living with HIV/AIDS getting appropriate care and support in schools are persistent. Caregivers need to collaborate with the public health sector to provide HIV education and support for themselves and for teachers; community nurses would be well placed to provide this. CONCLUSION: Our findings can inform the design of systems for educational and social support alongside adequate healthcare for children living with HIV/AIDS attending school. The Thai government needs to establish collaboration between the educational and health sectors to reduce the stigma of HIV, promote acceptance and provide support.