Mothers

In a roundabout route from Social Science & Medicine to Women's Health Weekly, the CDC prevention newsletter highlights a study that was first available online last June but only published in December. Well, better late than never, I say, especially since the article ("Pediatric Adherence: Perspectives of Mothers of Children with HIV") provides helpful insight into matters affecting adherence for children living with HIV. From the abstract:

We found that adherence practices were impacted in a positive way by mothers’ commitment to adherence, and in a negative way by feelings of stigma and guilt, by the effects of bereavement on children and by children adopting their mothers’ attitudes about medications. The interactive process of giving medication was shaped by children's behavior, mothers’ developmental expectations for children, and, for mothers with HIV, their adherence for themselves. We found that pediatric adherence often came at a cost to the caregiving mother's well-being. [emphasis added]

As happy as we often are to see our points validated by research, it's heartbreaking to see this one.