ABSTRACT
Objective To compare and analyze the main manifestations of HIV/ AIDS impact on marriage and family structure.Methods The relevant data of 931 HIV households and 995 non-HIV households were collected in five provinces with high HIV prevalence in China,using the method of questionnaire survey.The differences between people living with HIV/ AIDS(PLWHA)and non-HIV individuals in marriage and family structure were analyzed and compared.Results The percentage of PLWHA who were unmarried,divorced,widowed and remarried was higher than that of individuals in non-HIV households;the average size of the non-HIV households was 4.4 persons,while the size of HIV households was 4.0 persons;of the surveyed HIV households 41.1 % were stem families,while in the case of non-HIV households this percentage was lower,only 33.4 %.The rate of school enrollment among children in HIV households was lower than that in non-HIV households,while the rate of labor participation among the elderly in HIV households was higher than that in non-HIV households.Conclusion The results indicate that HIV/AIDS destroys the normal marriage among PLWHA,leading to an increased number of stem families and changes in family structure;the impact on the elderly and children in the HIV households is severe.All this means that HIV/AIDS weakens or even destroys the family function.