Recreating kinship: coping options of HIV+ AIDS widows in Vietnam

In this retrospective study we explore the life trajectory of Vietnamese HIV-positive AIDS widows over a period 2 years after their husbands’ deaths in a patrilinear and patrilocal setting where HIV is stigmatized. Some options, such as widows living with their eldest son, are not available to young HIV-positive widows, but the women in our study furthered their own interest by joining support groups, looking for new partners, and strengthening relations with their own family. Most women who returned to live with their family found a new intimate relationship through support groups for HIV-positive persons.