“I was afraid my baby would be upset with me” – women living with HIV’s accounts going through non-breastfeeding in São Paulo, Brazil

ABSTRACT

In Brazil prevention of mother to child HIV transmission guidelines recommend formula feeding. This qualitative study, carried out in a public clinic (CEADIPE/UNIFESP), aimed at exploring experiences of breastfeeding avoidance of women living with HIV living in São Paulo. Individual interviews were carried out with the support of a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed in a thematic approach with the support of AtlasTi^®. During the months of January-February 2010, 25 women were interviewed, including women with (n = 12) and without previous breastfeeding experience (n = 13). Major themes identified were: Non-breastfeeding as a trigger for stigmatization, Non-breastfeeding, guilt and coping, Attitudes around non-breastfeeding for women with and without previous breastfeeding experience, and Women’s support through non-breastfeeding. In conclusion women interviewed faced challenges related to HIV diagnosis, which got entangled with difficulties with breastfeeding avoidance. Different patterns of reaction and coping could be identified, regardless of mothers’ previous breastfeeding experiences. Health systems were key in providing women living with HIV with tailored services and the necessary support.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• prevention of mother to child HIV transmission
• breastfeeding
• infant feeding

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the study participants and clinic staff. The project was supported by a Global Partnerships Travel Grant, via the Department of Global Health at the School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The project was supported by a Global Partnerships Travel Grant, via the Department of Global Health at the School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.