Estratégias usadas pelos pais/encarregados de educação na protecção de crianças portadoras de HIV contra o estigma e discriminação – estudo de caso da Associação Hixikhanwe (2020 – 2022)

Abstract

The theme of the research is Strategies Used by Parents/Guardians to Protect Children With HIV from Stgma and Discrimination – A Case Study of the Hixikhanwe Association (2020-2022), the research problem is the impact of HIV/AIDS combined with stigmatisation and social discrimination can have psychologically and socially on child carriers throughout their development. The research used a qualitative and quantitative approach. In terms of data collection methods, bibliographical research was carried out on the subject of HIV/AIDS on children, and field research, semi-structured interviews and observation were applied to a sample of 16 carers of HIV-positive children aged between 10 and 15. The data was analysed in the light of Husserl's Phenomenology theory (1984), which proposes that reality is constituted from the individual experiences of the subjects, and that it is necessary to study consciousness and perception in order to understand the daily life of society. In terms of analysing and discussing the data, it was found that the parents or carers of HIV-positive children, as a way of protecting their children from stigma and discrimination, choose to keep the diagnosis secret and restrict the environments in which the child should be. The disclosure of HIV-positive children has created psychological disturbances in them (the idea of a death virus in the body), and as a way of reducing the impact it has been found that parents or carers have developed strong relationships with the children, creating a network of support and protection. The conclusion is that building a support network contributes to coping with the impacts, stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS in children, providing them with greater involvement in the process of treatment and control of the disease