The Identity Formation of Filipino Adults Made Vulnerable by HIV and AIDS

Abstract

This study investigates the role played by HIV and AIDS in the structuring of the current identity of five Filipino adults (as per WHO definition) whose parent(s) are inflicted with the said disease. A case study design was used to exhaustively describe the experiences of the participants which include two males and three females whose age range from 18-22 years. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants and data were gathered through indepth interviews. From the experiences they had informants were asked to evaluate their current personality and how their experiences as a vulnerable child had contributed to its constant shaping and reshaping, until they came up with the identity they currently use to face the world. Five themes of how HIV and AIDS had affected the lives of the participants include: (1) Confronting the Reality of their Parents’ Serostatus, (2) The Psychosocial Effects of their Parents’ Disease, (3) The Effects of the Coping Mechanisms they Employed, (4) Fulfillment of their Dreams and their Outlook for the Future and (5) Ego Identity. Each facet of their experiences as a vulnerable child is found to be connected to another part of their life such that material components significantly affect the quality of their psychosocial being. Stigma and discrimination experienced by the participants decreased the level of their help-seeking behavior both from their community and from their relatives. The effectiveness of the coping mechanisms they have employed also affected how they deal with their situation and the acceptance of their family crisis. Lastly, the achievement and underachievement of their goals in life had contributed on how they evaluate their present “identity” and the way in which they evaluate life and its meaning.