Information via accrediting organization American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
Human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV) has been known for over 25 years. It affects people in every country in the world. The United Nations estimates that as of 2006 there are 39.5 million people worldwide with HIV. Each day the disease affects more individuals, families and communities. In the U.S., it is thought that up to 1.2 million people are living with HIV.
HIV is increasingly recognized as an illness that affects couples and families, and not just the individual. This is not only because the virus can be passed on from one person to another, but also because for every person infected with HIV, there is a family and community that are also affected.
HIV is a blood-borne virus that can be spread through unprotected sex, sharing drug-injecting equipment and to a child during or shortly after birth from an infected mother. HIV cannot be cured, but can be managed by a combination of medications. However, if left untreated, the condition can progress until the person develops AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Immune systems that are compromised are unable to effectively fight infection. People are then susceptible to a range of infections and can die from these.
Early diagnosis of HIV and the advances in treatment have meant that people are able to live longer. HIV testing involves detecting antibodies in the blood. When someone is first diagnosed HIV positive, their physician will take more blood tests to assess how the immune system is working (CD4 count) and how much active virus is present in the blood (viral load). These will help the doctor and patient decide when to start treatment.
While there have been important medical advances in the treatment of HIV as well as the prevention of its spread, there are still emotional and social problems that can be as hard to deal with as the illness itself. For many infected people, it is a stigmatizing condition, which makes the burden of illness more difficult to bear. Lack of information about the disease and how people are infected can lead to risk-taking that can lead to infection.
As with other chronic illnesses, partners and families often provide most of the physical and emotional care. This can place a great strain on them. This can lead to individual stress and tension between members of the family.
Despite the initial shock of diagnosis, most people are resilient and generally manage their HIV infection well. There are times where this becomes more difficult and help is needed. The mistake would be to not recognize this and feel that you have to cope on your own. There are a number of situations where you might want to seek the services of a therapist.
Now that people in treatment live longer with HIV, complex social and emotional needs may emerge that require specialist intervention. Family therapists are trained in working with families where one or more members face a chronic or life threatening illness. They also have special skills in helping people to cope better where there are tensions, secrets and communication difficulties in the family. They are ideally suited to working with individuals, couples and families dealing with the long-term impact of living with HIV. Many therapists have expert knowledge in helping people disclose their illness to other family members. Some will have extensive experience working with couples in same sex (gay or lesbian) relationships. They can also help people who are not infected, who are worried about their own risk, or help people concerned about a loved one who has HIV.
Information via accrediting organization American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
