Decisions to care for HIV/AIDS orphans

There is substantial evidence to indicate that South Africa is facing the prospect of a large number of children, now and in the future, who will be orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In all likelihood, these children would have experienced psychological trauma through the illness and death of people close to them, and the social isolation that accompanies HIV-infection and AIDS-related illness and death. The ideal would be for as many of these children as possible to experience some type of family life in which to grow and mature into responsible adults. The aim of the present study was to explore a range of factors that might influence prospective carers' decisions to care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. These include features of prospective carers; features of the orphaned child; and forms of assistance that may be required. By means of a postal survey, the present study explored existing adoptive and foster parents' (N=17S) willingness to care for an HIV/AIDS orphan. Results show that close to 69% of respondents indicated a willingness to care for an HIV/AIDS orphan. Although some differences were noted depending on the HIV status of the child and whether the respondent was an adoptive or foster parent, on the whole they also indicated a preferred willingness to care for an HIV-negative female child, up to the age of 6 years old, of the same culture and from the same family as themselves, and without surviving relatives or siblings. Free medical care and schooling for the child were the suggested forms of assistance required. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), explored in the present study, did predict intentions to care for either an HIV-negative or HIV-positive orphan. However, certain components of the models did not have good predictive ability calling into question the usefulness of the model as a means to explain and predict intention to care for an HIV/AIDS orphan. Implications of the study provide recommendations for persons involved with children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Psychology

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Townsend, Loraine

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8769

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8769