The concept of ââ?¬Å?serodiscordanceââ?¬Â (mixed infection status) is primarily associated with epidemiological concerns about HIV\ntransmission risk in couples. We make the case for extending this concept to include families with mixed HIV and viral hepatitis\nstatus. Social research on couples with mixed HIV and hepatitis C status has laid an important foundation for illuminating how\nexperiences of serodiscordance within intimate partnerships aremuch broader than concerns about risk. This body ofwork attests to\nserodiscordance holding promise as a valuable concept for understanding viral infections as socially situated and intensely relational\nphenomena. However, serodiscordance is still limited as a concept because of its near universal focus on couples. It is rarely applied\nto wider relationships, including family networks beyond the couple. Despite evidence in the literature that families are affected\nby blood-borne viruses in multiple social, emotional, financial, and generational ways, the concept of serodiscordance does not\ncapture these broader dynamics. Making serodiscordance more inclusive is an important step in recognising the diverse ways\nfamiliesââ?¬â?¢ everyday lives, relationships, and futures can be entangled with HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B, and for understanding\nhow todayââ?¬â?¢s era of effective treatment options might shape the ââ?¬Å?family lifeââ?¬Â of viral infections.
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