HIV-infected parents and their children in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to determine the number, characteristics, and living situations of children of HIV-infected adults.


METHODS
Interviews were conducted in 1996 and early 1997 with a nationally representative probability sample of 2864 adults receiving health care for HIV within the contiguous United States.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight percent of infected adults in care had children. Women were more likely than men to have children (60% vs 18%) and to live with them (76% vs 34%). Twenty-one percent of parents had been hospitalized during the previous 6 months, and 10% had probably been drug dependent in the previous year. Parents continued to have children after being diagnosed with HIV: 12% of all women conceived and bore their youngest child after diagnosis, and another 10% conceived before but gave birth after diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical and support services for people affected by the HIV epidemic should have a family focus.
Schuster
M A
MA
RAND, Santa Monica, CA 90210-2138, USA. schuster@rand.org
Kanouse
D E
DE
Morton
S C
SC
Bozzette
S A
SA
Miu
A
A
Scott
G B
GB
Shapiro
M F
MF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006285:Health Planning; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology