When HIV Figures in Family Life: Exploring the Relational Reach of Serodiscordance

Abstract

Social research has been building an increasingly powerful challenge to the public health framing of HIV serodiscordance as pertaining only to sexual transmission risk within couple relationships. Aligned with this critique, our qualitative research with couples of mixed HIV status in New South Wales, Australia, revealed that serodiscordance held relational and cultural meanings which extended beyond the couple domain, encompassing a range of other relationships and issues, particularly those pertaining to families. A deductive thematic analysis of the data on families within these interviews revealed two major themes, disclosing serodiscordance to extended family members, and pursuing serodiscordant parenthood, which presented different challenges for same-sex and opposite-sex couples. We conclude that, despite incredible advances in the medical management of HIV, there continue to be diverse implications of serodiscordance within both intimate and extended family relationships. Understanding the implications of disclosing serodiscordance beyond the couple relationship, and recognising the complex intersections between the public and private dimensions of serodiscordance, offer promising ways forward in supporting families affected by HIV in settings which are culturally comparable to Australia.