A qualitative literature analysis on family members and sexual partners living with HIV infection patients

FENG Ling; TAN Miao; XU Meihong; GUI Jing; ZHANG Xiaoxia

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1007-8134.2025.04.008

Abstract：Objective To describe and analyze the current status and progress of domestic AIDS qualitative research in China on the family members and sexual partners of HIV infected individuals through literature analysis,and provide scientific basis for effective AIDS prevention and intervention.Methods Retrieve relevant literature on qualitative research on AIDS conducted by Chinese scholars,targeting the family members and sexual partners of HIV-infected individuals,in both Chinese and English databases using a combination of subject terms and free terms.The search period was from the establishment of the databases to April 30,2024.The literature that met the inclusion criteria was selected,summarized,organized,and analyzed.Results A total of 63 documents were included,published between 2005 and 2024.There were 37 qualitative studies(58.73%)and 26 mixed-methods studies(41.27%);39 journal papers(61.90%),23 dissertations(36.51%),and 1 conference paper(1.59%).The research covered a wide geographical area,with a focus on areas with high incidence of AIDS.There were 14 documents(22.22%)that solely targeted the families and sexual partners of the infected individuals,while 49 documents(77.78%)included multiple populations.The families and sexual partners included female spouses and negative male sexual partners of HIV-positive homosexual men,single-positive family members and family caregivers,etc.The themes of research are diverse,exploring the impact of AIDS on the infected individuals,families,and society from multiple dimensions.Among them,psychological experiences and social support have always been the focus of attention,shifting from single psychological and preventive studies to comprehensive care and family studies.However,the application forms of research methodology are relatively limited,and the literature reports lack standardization.Conclusion Qualitative research on the families and sexual partners of HIV-infected individuals provides a rich perspective for AIDS research.Future research should improve the methodological strategies,deepen the application of multi-level research methods,and improve the quality of literature reports,so as to provide high-quality evidence for scientific research and practice.