Objectives. This study examined sociodemographic and psychosocial factors that predict survival among parents living with HIV.

Methods. Parents with HIV (n = 307) were recruited from 1993 to 1995 in New York City and repeatedly assessed. Survival was monitored among the sample (81% mothers; 45% Latino, 34% African American).

Results. Over a median period of 28 months (range = 0–53 months), 44% (n = 135) of the parents died. Having an AIDS diagnosis and being African American were associated with earlier death. Sex, age, and financial status were not related to survival. Parents who survived had initially higher levels of anxiety that decreased over time; in contrast, parents who died reported initially lower, but constant, levels of anxiety over time. After HIV diagnostic status was controlled for, it was found that parents who reported having more children, using a coping style of seeking social support, and being sexually active at baseline survived longer.

Conclusions. The counterintuitive findings raise hypotheses regarding the role of change and responsibilities in the survival of parents with HIV.