From Acute Palliation to Chronic Care: Using the Narratives of Two Gay Caregivers to Explore Experiences of Providing HIV Support Across Sociohistorical Contexts

Abstract

Despite the longstanding shift in conceptualizing HIV/AIDS as a site of chronic care, versus one of acute palliation, few attempts have been made to examine caregiving in the context of this change. This study constitutes a preliminary attempt at exploring the evolving nature of HIV/AIDS caregiving among sexual minorities, primarily by comparing the narratives of two partnered caregivers of HIV-positive gay men whose stories are located in disparate sociohistorical contexts. Whereas one caregiver provided support during an era in which HIV/AIDS was primarily conceptualized as acutely life-limiting, the other did so in the contemporary period of chronic HIV care. Although similarities are noted across the stories, distinctions are also apparent in how the caregivers encounter expressions of homophobia and HIV stigma, and negotiate these realities distinctly as a function of sociohistorical context. In particular, despite the salience of these systemic barriers across the two narratives, these expressions of marginalization appear to occur more routinely and indefinitely in the context of chronic care. This article concludes with implications of the study's findings on theory, research, policy, and practice.