Tahmina Khaidarova got married in accordance with the cultural traditions of her family — her parents chose her cousin as her husband. She rarely saw her husband, who worked in another country and returned home to Tajikistan for short visits once a year. When her little daughter became seriously ill and died, she hoped to get pregnant again to ease the pain of loss. During a medical examination, she was diagnosed with HIV infection. Her husband died soon after due to AIDS.