Becoming Healthy Again: Reproductive Intentions and ARVs in Uganda

project summary

Becoming healthy again: Reproductive Intentions among HIV positive women and men with increased access to anti-Retrovirals in Uganda. Reproductive decision-making is strongly influenced by cultural norms, such as the value of children in a particular society and the specific roles of men and women. In Africa, as elsewhere, the desire of men and women to have children is strong: to achieve social status, to have offspring to support you when you get old and to continue the lineage. Due to the antiretroviral treatment the HIV/AIDS related mortality and morbidity is expected to be reduced, and HIV positive individuals are expected to have prolonged life expectancy as well as improved quality of life and productivity. The study will explore how the embeddedness of social relationships and the constraints of culture curb the possible range of options concerning reproduction. Few studies have been carried out to explore reproductive intentions among HIV positive and very few have explored reproductive intentions among HIV positive receiving antiretroviral treatment in the south. Globalisation has made ARV treatment more accessible, but what effect does an increased access to ARV treatment have on the lives of HIV positive individuals? Inspired by recent theories of ‘therapeutic citizenship’ and HIV positive people’s reproductive intentions seen as a ‘counterpublic’ sphere or discourse, this ethnographic study proposes to examine HIV positive’s reproductive decision making in Uganda. As Uganda during the past 3 years has extended access to anti-retroviral treatment, the country offers an exceptional site for exploring this.