Article

Life changing words: women's responses to being diagnosed with HIV infection.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing, Milwaukee, Wis 53201, USA.
ANS. Advances in nursing science (impact factor: 0.97). 29(3):207-21.
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT In this longitudinal study, we investigated the diagnosis experiences of 55 human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV)-infected women. Women's immediate reactions upon hearing that they were infected with HIV were devastation, shock, and indignation. Long-term responses included depression, submersion of the HIV infection diagnosis, escalated drug and alcohol use, shame, and suicidality. It was usually months and sometimes years before women could extricate themselves from these patterns of response. It is critical to make HIV infection diagnosis the first intervention in a protocol of seamless support that sees women through the initial trauma of being diagnosed until longer term primary care and social services can be activated.

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Keywords

55 human immuno-deficiency virus
 
escalated drug
 
first intervention
 
HIV infection diagnosis
 
HIV)-infected women
 
indignation
 
longitudinal study
 
seamless support
 
sees women
 
social services
 
suicidality
 
women
 
Women's immediate reactions
 

Patricia E Stevens