Feasibility and Acceptability of a Program to Promote Positive Affect, Well-Being and Gender Empowerment in Black Women Living with HIV

The phenomenon of HIV-AIDS transmission places women in a difficult situation. The loss of family members such as husbands due to AIDS leaves women living with HIV positive in a struggle to access sources of livelihood. The condition of themselves as PLWHA, concerns about being stigmatized, caring for family members, and earning a living are the burdens of life they have to face. In this regard, this paper explores the complexity of the work of HIV-positive women. This study uses a qualitative method with a feminist perspective to get a complete picture of the livelihood of HIV-positive women. Based on interviews with five HIV-positive women, the findings found a link between social, identity, and gender categories that affect their livelihoods. HIV-positive women also transform themselves into their “normal” self by pretending to be healthy, able to work, have quality, and be independent. This is done as a form of resistance to the stigma attached to PLWHA.

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Daily Microaggressions and Related Distress among Black Women Living with HIV during the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Black Lives Matter Protests

AIDS and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s10461-021-03321-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sannisha K. Dale ◽

Yue Pan ◽

Nadine Gardner ◽

Sherence Saunders ◽

Ian A. Wright ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Black Women ◽

Black Lives Matter ◽

Women Living With Hiv ◽

Living With Hiv

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Mental Health in Women Living With HIV: The Unique and Unmet Needs

Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (JIAPAC) ◽

10.1177/2325958220985665 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

pp. 232595822098566

Author(s):

Elizabeth M. Waldron ◽

Inger Burnett-Zeigler ◽

Victoria Wee ◽

Yiukee Warren Ng ◽

Linda J. Koenig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Research ◽

Health Issues ◽

Women Living With Hiv ◽

Mental Health Issues ◽

Hiv Management ◽

Living With Hiv

Women living with HIV (WLWH) experience depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms at higher rates than their male counterparts and more often than HIV-unaffected women. These mental health issues affect not only the well-being and quality of life of WLWH, but have implications for HIV management and transmission prevention. Despite these ramifications, WLWH are under-treated for mental health concerns and they are underrepresented in the mental health treatment literature. In this review, we illustrate the unique mental health issues faced by WLWH such as a high prevalence of physical and sexual abuse histories, caregiving stress, and elevated internalized stigma as well as myriad barriers to care. We examine the feasibility and outcomes of mental health interventions that have been tested in WLWH including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and supportive counseling. Future research is required to address individual and systemic barriers to mental health care for WLWH.

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Mulheres negras vivendo com hiv: políticas públicas

Revista de Enfermagem UFPE on line ◽

10.5205/1981-8963.2019.240251 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Mônica Alice Santos da Silva ◽

Francisco Stélio De Souza ◽

Rosilene Santos Baptista ◽

Evelyn Maria Braga Quirino ◽

César De Andrade De Lima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Black Women ◽

Public Policies ◽

Virtual Library ◽

Access To Health Services ◽

Women Living With Hiv ◽

Access To Health ◽

Las Mujeres ◽

Study Type ◽

Living With Hiv

Objetivo: identificar os avanços e desafios das políticas públicas destinadas às mulheres negras vivendo com HIV. Método: trata-se de um estudo bibliográfico, tipo revisão integrativa. Realizaram-se as buscas nas bases de dados LILACS, BDENF, IBECS, MEDLINE e na Biblioteca Virtual SciELO. Compôs-se a amostra por 18 artigos avaliados pelo instrumento CASP e classificados de acordo com os níveis de evidência. Apresentaram-se os resultados em forma de figuras e tabela. Resultados: informa-se que, na análise das 18 publicações encontradas, 11 (61,1%) estavam na base de dados LILACS; 6 (33,3%), na Biblioteca Virtual SciELO e 1 (5,55%), na BDENF. Emergiram-se, da análise temática dos artigos, duas categorias: vulnerabilidade e o racismo institucional como fatores que dificultam o acesso aos serviços de saúde e comprometem a assistência às mulheres que vivem com HIV, sendo os fatores de preservação da epidemia nesta população. Conclusão: evidenciaram-se fragilidades no aspecto das contribuições das políticas públicas na mudança de paradigmas sociais antigos atrelados ao HIV, fato confirmado pelo papel de destaque da vulnerabilidade como protagonista da realidade vivenciada pelas mulheres negras. Descritores: Grupos Étnicos; Políticas Públicas; Mulheres; HIV; Vulnerabilidade em Saúde; Racismo; Saúde da Mulher.ABSTRACTObjective: to identify the advances and challenges of public policies aimed at black women living with HIV. Method: this is a bibliographical study, type integrative review. We searched the databases LILACS, BDENF, IBECS, MEDLINE and the SciELO Virtual Library. The sample was composed by 18 articles evaluated by the CASP instrument and classified according to the levels of evidence. Results were presented in the form of figures and tables. Results: it is reported that, in the analysis of the 18 publications found, 11 (61.1%) were in the LILACS database; 6 (33.3%), in the SciELO Virtual Library and 1 (5.55%), in the BDENF. Two categories emerged from the thematic analysis of the article: vulnerability and institutional racism as factors that hinder access to health services and compromise the care of women living with HIV, being the factors that preserve the epidemic in this population. Conclusion: weaknesses in the aspect of the contributions of public policies in the change of old social paradigms linked to HIV have been evidenced, a fact confirmed by the prominent role of vulnerability as protagonist of the reality experienced by black women. Descriptors: Ethnic Groups; Public Policy; Women; HIV; Population Vulnerable; Racism; Women´s Health.RESUMENObjetivo: identificar los avances y desafíos de las políticas públicas dirigidas a las mujeres negras que viven con el VIH. Método: se trata de un estudio bibliográfico, tipo revisión integrativa. Se realizaron busquedas en las bases de datos LILACS, BDENF, IBECS, MEDLINE y la Biblioteca Virtual SciELO. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 18 artículos evaluados por el instrumento CASP y clasificados según los niveles de evidencia. Los resultados se presentaron en forma de figuras y tablas. Resultados: se informa que, en el análisis de las 18 publicaciones encontradas, 11 (61.1%) se encontraban en la base de datos LILACS; 6 (33.3%), en la Biblioteca Virtual SciELO y 1 (5.55%), en la BDENF. Del análisis temático del artículo surgieron dos categorías: la vulnerabilidad y el racismo institucional como factores que dificultan el acceso a los servicios de salud y comprometen la atención de las mujeres que viven con el VIH, siendo los factores que preservan la epidemia en esta población. Conclusión: Se evidenciaron debilidades en el aspecto de las contribuciones de las políticas públicas, a cambio de paradigmas sociales antigos, vinculados al VIH, un hecho confirmado por el papel de destaque de la vulnerabilidad como protagonista de la realidad experimentada por las mujeres negras. Descriptores: Grupo Étnico; Políticas Públicas; Mujeres; VIH; Vulnerabilidad em Salud; Racismo; Salud de la Mujer.

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3242 Stressful experiences and adherence to HIV care among Black Women Living with HIV: A qualitative analysis

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science ◽

10.1017/cts.2019.174 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (s1) ◽

pp. 74-74

Author(s):

Crystal Chapman Lambert ◽

Chastity McDavid ◽

Tammi F. Thomas ◽

Kiko King ◽

Andres Azuero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Black Women ◽

Physical Abuse ◽

Traumatic Events ◽

The United States ◽

Stressful Events ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Care Clinic ◽

Women Living With Hiv ◽

Living With Hiv

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Our primary objective was to understand the relationship between incident or recent stressful events and adherence to HIV care in the context of other person, environment, and HIV-specific stressors in a sample of Black women living with HIV (WLWH). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted with Black women living with HIV who receive care at an academic HIV primary care clinic in the Southern region of the United States to elicit stressful events influencing adherence to HIV care. Semi-structured interview guides were used to facilitate discussion regarding stressful events and adherence to HIV care. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were independently coded using a theme-based approach by two experienced coders, findings were compared, and discrepancies were resolved by discussion. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Participants described frequently experiencing incident stressful events including death or serious illness of a close friend or family member, and relationship, financial, and employment difficulties. Furthermore, participants reported experiencing traumatic events such as sexual and physical abuse during childhood and adolescents. While experiencing traumatic events such as sexual and physical abuse during childhood and adolescence may be distressing, these events did not influence adherence to HIV care. However, incident stressful events as defined above did influence adherence to HIV care for some participants, but not for others. For participants who reported that stressful events did not influence adherence to HIV care, factors such as personal motivation, access to social support, and adaptive coping strategies facilitated their engagement in care. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Experiencing stressful events, incident or traumatic, is common among Black WLWH and have the potential to negatively influence adherence to HIV care. Thus, Interventions aimed at identifying and addressing stress, social support, and coping are essential to improve adherence to HIV care behaviors.

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“I’m Gonna Get Busy Living”: Examining the Trajectories of Affect, Behavioral Health, and Psychological Resilience Among Persons Living With HIV in a Southeastern U.S. Health District

Global Qualitative Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/2333393619834937 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 233339361983493

Author(s):

Miranda Hill ◽

Amber Huff ◽

Neale Chumbler

Keyword(s):

Positive Affect ◽

Well Being ◽

Health District ◽

Psychological Resilience ◽

Psychological States ◽

Persons Living With Hiv ◽

Coping Processes ◽

Qualitative Work ◽

And Coping ◽

Living With Hiv

Internal psychological states and coping processes are significant determinants of resilience. The primary aim of this qualitative work is to provide further insight into how core affect influences the adaptability of persons living with HIV (PLWH) after diagnosis. In-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse group of PLWH in a health district located in the Southeastern United States. A deductive-inductive approach was taken while coding and analyzing, N = 18 participant narratives concerning the psychological and coping processes surrounding diagnosis and engagement in care. Active behavioral and cognitive coping after diagnosis was exhibited by PLWH expressing salient attributes of positive affect, whereas the salience of negative affect among PLWH was associated with avoidant coping and heightened distress. Our findings illuminate the beneficial role of positive affect and active coping on the health and well-being of PLWH. The study implications extend to the development and enhancement of programs designed to fortify psychological resilience.

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