Where Will This Illness Take Me? Reactions to HIV Diagnosis From Women Living With HIV in Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the reactions of 40 urban and rural HIV-infected Kenyan women to HIV diagnosis. We employed narrative inquiry principles to guide this qualitative cross-sectional study. We conducted individual in-depth interviews using open-ended questions in April and May 2006. In this article we focus on women's reactions to HIV diagnosis, under which four subthemes emerged: immediate intense emotions; keeping HIV status secret; acceptance of HIV diagnosis; and finding liberation in disclosure. We offer important implications for health care professionals serving women in sub-Saharan Africa from the findings of our study.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health under the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31NR 009628) from the National Institute of Nursing Research and by the Midwest Nursing Research Society Dissertation Award. We thank the women living with HIV in Kenya who willingly shared their stories with us, and Beatrice Mutemi for her assistance in obtaining participants for this study.