Social Work - Theses

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Author: Wojciechowski, Lisa Marie × Start date: 2000 × Subject: Australia ×

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    Young and Positive: Young People Living With HIV in Contemporary Australia
    Wojciechowski, Lisa Marie ( 2022)
    The scientific, political and community response to HIV has changed significantly over the last 40 years of the pandemic and, with it, the lived experience of people with HIV in Australia. Young people diagnosed with HIV today receive their diagnosis in a very different context than those diagnosed in previous generations. Biomedical advances in treatment have led to U=U (i.e., undetectable viral load = untransmissible virus through sex or breastfeeding) and pre-exposure prophylaxis and rendered HIV a chronic condition. However, despite these advances in the biomedical aspects of the virus, stigmas persist. The successes of the Australian HIV response mean that relatively few young people aged 18–29 are living with HIV in Australia. While young people aged 18–29 are considered ‘adults’ in existing health and HIV services, evidence increasingly defines this age group as being distinct from the broader adult population in important ways. This means that the needs of young people living with HIV risk being overlooked in the context of health promotion and service design and delivery. The changing nature of what it means to be young—and HIV positive—in Australia today raises questions about whether the HIV service infrastructure is catering for the needs of all people living with HIV. However, very little research has explored how young people with HIV in Australia feel connected to and access HIV services and support; this is a missed opportunity to ensure they are being meaningfully recognised and supported. The Young + Positive study used a convergent parallel mixed-method design underpinned by a multidimensional theoretical approach to address this gap. Survey data (n = 60) and qualitative interviews (n = 25) were gathered between 2017 and 2019. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis to explore how young people aged 18–29 understand HIV and their connection, capacity and willingness to access care and support, and aimed to identify opportunities for improving engagement around their HIV support needs. The implications of the research findings suggest that young people see themselves as a distinct cohort with specific needs in relation to their HIV and that opportunities exist to integrate young people more meaningfully into existing HIV service systems to better meet their support needs.