Why motherhood matters for women living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa: A view through the social justice lens

Background: The need to address the inequities of HIV/AIDS stigma remains a central focus of research aimed at addressing the burden of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. While most studies have focused on a myriad of factors that influence HIV/AIDS stigma, within the context of women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA), little is known about how notions of motherhood fuel the spread of HIV/AIDS stigma. Therefore, it is important that employing a social justice approach to motherhood will allow for women to have children, regardless of their HIV positive status.

Methods: 107 women participated in 24 focus group interviews on factors related to HIV/AIDS stigma in South Africa. This study is part of a capacity building project on HIV/AIDS stigma in South Africa.

Results: Using the PEN-3 cultural model as framework, findings show that motherhood as a cultural identity marker creates a tension for HIV positive women. Motherhood expectation is both desired and worrisome for women without children, as participants expressed their desire for children and fear of being HIV positive. Findings reflect hope and determination with motherhood for some women, although some stated that they were concerned about their children's welfare following their death. HIV/AIDS present additional burden for women without children as they experienced pressures from family members.

Conclusion/Recommendation: Our findings suggest that an important advancement in theories on social justice is the development of interventions that mitigate HIV/AIDS stigma particularly among women. Emphasis should be given to addressing stigma via notions of motherhood and the reproductive challenges WLHA encounter.