An Exploratory Case Study of HIV Impacted Children in Henan Province, China

Abstract: The illicit and unsafe sales of blood caused a great number of HIV impacted children in China who although were constantly exposed to multiple risk factors but exhibited positive adaptive behaviors. Thus the purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of resilience of HIV impacted children through the exploration of children's perception and experience on context-specific risk factors and protective factors. Addressing resilience in an ecological perspective, the study employed a case study design and was conducted in village Y in Henan Province. Data were collected mainly through observation, focus group discussions and individual interviews. The final conclusion of the study was that HIV impacted children were frequently exposed to various risk factors mainly associated with poverty and HIV/AIDS, and were made vulnerable within the complex set of person-environmental interactions. Despite that, the right combination of protective factors from individual, familial and community levels was able to buffer negative impacts of risks and contribute to the enhancement of children's resilience. However, the way children perceived risks and negotiated with external environment determined the influence of risk and protective factors and how resilience was developed.