Final Facilitator Guide - EngenderHealth

Section 4Case Study #2Usha, A women living with HIVUsha tested positive for HIV in 1995. She had heard about AIDSbut did not know much about HIV. After she was found positive,her in-laws blamed her for the infection and threw her out, andshe went back to her parent’s place.A colleague supported her during this difficult period and latershe married him. When they planned to have a family andconsulted a doctor, all the decisions were left to them, whetherto have a child or not and whether to go for a normal deliveryor a cesarean section. And after delivery there was confusionamong the doctors as to what vaccinations to give the child.Usha and her husband decided not give polio vaccine to thechild until he was two years old. Living in a joint family, it wasvery difficult not to breastfeed the child, but her in-laws andother family members supported her.When the child completed two years, Usha asked the counselorand the doctor if she should get the child tested for HIV, butthey just said, “you decide.” She decided on her own to havethe child tested, and he tested negative.Facilitator’s Guide2Adherence to Treatment for HIVDiscussion Questions• Why do you think Usha’s second set of in-laws weresupportive of her while her first set threw her out?• Why were the doctors and counselors unwilling torecommend to Usha what to do (about the type ofdelivery, vaccinations, HIV testing)?• What would you have done if Usha had asked youabout the same topics?61