Living Day by Day: The Meaning of Living With HIV/AIDS Among Women in Lebanon

Global Qualitative Nursing Research

Rachel L. Kaplan¹ 

关键词: Middle East;    Middle Eastern people;    HIV/AIDS;    women’s health;    illness;    disease;    social construction;    stigma;   

DOI  :  10.1177/2333393616650082

学科分类：医学（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

We examined the meaning of living with HIV/AIDS among women in Lebanon. Ten women living with HIV/AIDS (WLWHA) described their experiences via semistructured in-depth interviews. They navigated a process of HIV diagnosis acceptance that incorporated six overlapping elements: receiving the news, accessing care, starting treatment, navigating disclosure decisions, negotiating stigma, and maintaining stability. Through these elements, we provide a framework for understanding three major themes that were constructed during data analysis: Stand by my side: Decisions of disclosure; Being “sick” and feeling “normal”: Interacting with self, others, and society; and Living day by day: focusing on the present. We contribute to the existing literature by providing a theoretical framework for understanding the process of diagnosis and sero-status acceptance among WLWHA. This was the first study of its kind to examine the meaning of living with HIV/AIDS among women in a Middle Eastern country.

【 授权许可】

CC BY