Becoming a person with HIV: experiences of Cambodian women infected by their spouses

Type Journal Article - Culture, health & sexuality
Title Becoming a person with HIV: experiences of Cambodian women infected by their spouses
Author(s)
Volume 18
Issue 2
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2016
Page numbers 198-210
URL http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13691058.2015.1064164
Abstract
We conducted an interpretive phenomenological investigation in order to understand, within a Cambodian sociocultural context, the lived experiences of women infected with HIV by their husbands as they navigated the tasks of discovering, disclosing and dealing with the diagnosis. Using an open-ended interview protocol and an interpretive phenomenological approach, data were analysed from 15 women (aged 28–42 years) who self-identified the HIV transmission as coming from their spouses. Using qualitative inductive analysis, we were able to identify three main themes: (1) finding oneself to be HIV-positive, (2) encountering HIV – accepting an unwelcomed guest and (3) going public – dealing with the fear of discrimination. Participants consistently delayed testing for HIV and, after receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis, had to deal with painful emotions and discrimination within their social network. The complexity of gender roles and the sociocultural status of the women acted as behavioural determinants of their responses to HIV transmission from their spouses.

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