| Of the currently estimated 650,000 HIV/AIDS cases in China, the majority of this population remains invisible (MOH, UNAIDS & WHO, 2006). Research on HIV/AIDS in China has paid disproportionate attention to HIV prevention and control, while little is known about the life experiences (e.g., decision-making, health practices, and coping) of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). This dissertation explores the complex processes in which Chinese PLWHAs live and make sense of their everyday lives, shedding light on how this global epidemic has local impacts, at both micro and macro levels. Using a phenomenological approach, the data for this qualitative study were collected through semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interviews with 10 frontline professionals working with Chinese PLWHAs and with 21 adult PLWHAs in China. The findings of this study reveal that the social and health consequences of HIV/AIDS in China, as in many other places in the world, have been disproportionately borne by those who are already disadvantaged due to their socio-economic status, migrant status, sexual orientation, gender, age, ability, and other social dimensions. The socio-cultural meanings of HIV/AIDS in China and the increasing complexity and diversity of local experiences in dealing with this disease calls into question the "universality" of HIV/AIDS knowledge in biomedical discourses. It suggests that Chinese PLWHAs' experiences must be understood from a broad perspective that can articulate micro-macro and local-global connections, and that HIV/AIDS should be responded to in a more comprehensive and collaborative way by mobilizing resources at various levels. This type of knowledge is important for developing more sensitive and responsive policies, programs, and service delivery systems for this population, which, in turn, may improve their access to health services and quality of life in the long term. |
