“Why are you pregnant? What were you thinking?”: How women navigate experiences of HIV-related stigma in medical settings during pregnancy and birth

ABSTRACT

Having children is a growing reality for women living with HIV in Canada. It is imperative to understand and respond to women’s unique experiences and psychosocial challenges during pregnancy and as mothers including HIV-related stigma. This qualitative study used a narrative methodological approach to understand women’s experiences of HIV-related stigma as they navigate health services in pregnancy (n = 66) and early postpartum (n = 64). Narratives of women living with HIV expose the spaces where stigmatizing practices emerge as women seek perinatal care and support, as well as highlight the relationship between HIV-related stigma and disclosure, and the impact this has on women’s pregnancy and birthing experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• motherhood
• perinatal care
• pregnancy
• stigma

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the mothers with HIV who participated in this study. The following individuals are acknowledged for their contribution to the HIV Mothering Study: Dr. Jonathan Angel, Dr. Ari Bitnun, Dr. Jason Brophy, Dr. Jeff Cohen, Dr. Greg Gamble, Dr. Kevin Gough, Dr. Andree Gruslin, Dr. Lydia Kapiriri, Dr. Charles Laporte, Dr. Hugues Loemba, Ms. Shari Margolese, Ms. Khatundi Masinde, Dr. Kellie Murphy, Dr. Jeff Powis, Dr. Corinna Quan, Dr. Janet Raboud, Dr. Anita Rachlis, Dr. Edward Ralph, Ms. Robyn Salter, Dr. Lindy Samson, Dr. Roger Sandre, Dr. Sandi Seigel, Dr. Mike Silverman, Dr. Fiona Smaill, Dr. Sharon Walmsley, Dr. Wendy Wobeser, Dr. Mark Yudin, Dr. Anne-Marie Zadjlik, Cheryl Arneson, Fatimatou Berry, Kerrigan Beaver, Jennifer Bowes, Gloria Crowl, Janette Cousineau, Adri D’Aquila, Marisol Desbiens, Leanne De Souza, Dawn Elston, Sharon Fair, Kim Foshay, Jenna Ekborn, Michele Ellis, Roberta Halpenny, Sheryl Hewko, Jennifer Lalonde, Judy Latendre-Paquette, Elaine Lefaive, Georgina MacDougall, Mary-Jean Martin, Nancy McFarland, Anja McNeil, Linda Moran, Isabelle Seguin, and Danielle Tardiff.

Funding

We acknowledge the Ontario HIV Treatment Network and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for providing funding for the HIV Mothering Study.

Additional information

Funding

We acknowledge the Ontario HIV Treatment Network and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for providing funding for the HIV Mothering Study.