The Impact of AIDS on Parents and Families in Thailand

Abstract

Local key informants provided data on individual adult cases of AIDS for assessing the impact of the epidemic in Thailand on aged parents and other family members. In most cases, parents provided care for their infected adult children, often assisted with expenses, and frequently played a main role in paying for treatment. For one third of the cases, a family member reduced or stopped working to provide care. For approximately one fifth of parents, the infected adult child was their main income earner. Nevertheless, in most cases, the child’s death was not judged to have a devastating economic impact for the parents, although poorer families were far more likely to be adversely affected than others. Wide availability of basic government health insurance moderated the economic impact. Results are interpreted in terms of patterns of intergenerational exchanges of support and services.