ABSTRACT
Given the potential for contemporary “post-AIDS” discourse to overlook the daily challenges of living with HIV, there is a need for scholarship that documents how present-day experiences of those living with HIV/AIDS, particularly among groups who encounter intersectional vulnerabilities, can inform practices and policies beyond biotechnical advances. The present chapter addresses this gap by reporting the findings of a meta-ethnographic synthesis of qualitative studies, published between 2010 and 2020, of African American mothers living with HIV. Organizing our findings using the socioecological framework, we identify a number of critical factors that impact these women’s day-to-day lives at the structural/societal level (i.e., societal-level stigma; intersectional discrimination and inequality; structural barriers and facilitators to HIV-related care), the interpersonal level (i.e., anticipated and enacted stigma; the dialectical nature of motherhood; the importance of social support; varied perceptions of healthcare providers), and the personal/individual level (orienting to the identity of motherhood; physical and mental health status; reproductive health perceptions). We then discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings to alleviate challenges faced by this marginalized population.
