Impact of ACEs in young people living with perinatally acquired HIV
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploration of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in young people living with perinatally acquired HIV
IRAS ID
325090
Contact name
Bianca de Sa
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Holloway, University London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 3 days
Research summary
Medical advancements have seen the life expectancy of children with perinatally acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV; HIV acquired through their mother) improve significantly, meaning that more young people are reaching adolescence and adulthood. Perinatally acquired HIV is a chronic, life-long health condition that remains highly stigmatised. This places significant medical and psychological challenges on the young person that must be navigated alongside the inevitable stressors of growing up. Subsequently, young people living with perinatally acquired HIV are more likely to experience difficulties with their mental health. Research has shown high rates of childhood adversity in young people living with perinatally acquired HIV, which can result in long-lasting physical, mental, and social health outcomes. This accumulative source of stressors can have significant consequences for how young people view themselves, manage their health condition and engage in relationships.
The voices of young people living with perinatally acquired HIV and their lived experiences have not yet been captured in the existing literature. Therefore, this proposed qualitative study aims to gain an understanding of young people’s perceptions of how adverse life events have impacted them, to identify what has helped or hindered them in their unique set of circumstances, as well as examine factors that enhance resilience.Semi-structured interviews, lasting approximately 60–90 minutes, will be conducted with a sample of between 8-10 young people (18+) living with perinatally acquired HIV who have self-identified as having experienced one or more adverse life events growing up. Participants will be recruited from a specialist HIV clinic in central London and Chiva, a UK-based national charity for children, young people and young adults living with HIV. Participants will be asked to complete a demographic and basic HIV information questionnaire. The data will be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/YH/0107
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion