UNAIR NEWS – Based on data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia in 2014, East Java was ranked second (19,249 cases) after DKI Jakarta Province (32,782 cases) on the number (cumulative) cases of HIV infection. Universitas Airlangga Faculty of Nursing Lecturer Ika Nur Pratiwi, S.Kep., NS, M.Kep revealed that the number of HIV sufferers in Surabaya was the highest in East Java with 7,045 cases. The second highest was in Malang City with 2,693 cases.
“Women are very susceptible to contracting this disease. Especially now the number of HIV positive mothers has increased and of course is a concern for us all, “she said.
In various cases, Ika said that HIV cases cause various effects for sufferers, such as reducing endurance and the emergence of opportunistic infections (OIs), as well as psychological and social problems. The impact can reduce the quality of life of sufferers, so family support is needed to overcome all pressures from the surrounding environment.
“Family support has an important role to increase one’s coping adaptation to stressful situations, reduce morbidity and encourage discipline of treatment in patients and indirectly support family to improve one’s physical health,” she said.
On the results of the study, she explained that family support give the opportunity of a good quality of life in HIV positive mothers because family is the important and interconnected element of interdependence to provide support, affection, security, and attention in harmony in carrying out their respective roles.
“The existence of family support will make the family able to function with a variety of intelligence and reason, so that it will improve their health and adaptation in life,” she said.
Meanwhile, the disease can also progressively get worse if the sufferer experiences pressure from both family and community. It will affect the physical and psychological condition of the patient.
“Prolonged and continuous pressure will have an impact on the decline of the immune system and will affect patients’ quality of life. And if this is not immediately resolved, it can reduce the health condition of patients, accelerate the progression of the disease leading to death, ” she said.
Through this research, Ika hoped to become a reference for health workers to involve the family in regular meetings with fellow HIV sufferers and also in the treatment and care of sufferers. Family members, the closest to the sufferer can be involved as individuals who help sufferers to maintain their health. (*)
Author: Khefti Al Mawalia
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
Reference:
https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijphrd&volume=10&issue=8&article=523
Pratiwi Ika Nur, Purwaningsih, Ramahwati Sevina. 2019. The Correlation between Family Support and Quality of Life in Mothers with Positive HIV in Surabaya. Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, Volume : 10, Issue : 8.
