Thesis advisor: Rosanna DeMarco / The purpose of this study was to explore the Zimbabwean women's experiences of being diagnosed and living with HIV/AIDS on a daily basis. This phenomenological study used the van Manen (1984, 1997) method of phenomenological inquiry and approach to phenomenological analysis to uncover the women's experiences and meaning of being diagnosed and living with HIV/AIDS. Seventeen HIV positive women participating in a development of antiretroviral therapies (DART) clinical trial in Harare, Zimbabwe, were recruited through snowball sampling and by word of mouth were interviewed. The study revealed that women experienced the dread of living with suspicion prior to a confirmed HIV diagnosis, pain and suffering when diagnosed, renewal and rebirth from the effects of antiretroviral medications and DART clinical trial while simultaneously experiencing the burden of living with HIV/AIDS. With time the women came to terms with their HIV positive statuses, and used their experiences to help others. The themes living with suspicion of HIV/AIDS and sensing the engulfing anguish of HIV/AIDS were found to be the core essence of being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The themes knowing the restorative power of antiretroviral medications, the heavy burden of HIV, and finding meaning in being HIV positive were found to be the core essence of living with HIV/AIDS on a daily basis. The findings inform health care providers on the trauma and suffering of being diagnosed and living with HIV/AIDS, and the benefits of antiretroviral medications. These study findings have significant implications for Zimbabwean nurses and other health care personnel committed to improving the lives of women, their families and their communities. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

Sociocultural factors permeate the history of women before the AIDS epidemic and contributing to the spread of HIV transmission in this segment. Aiming to better understand this phenomenon, we sought to understand how HIV-positive women live their everyday lives after the diagnosis of HIV infection. In addition, check feelings, beliefs and ideas triggered by the revelation of HIV positive diagnosis: to elucidate whether there were changes in their daily life: to identify the health concerns, illness and treatment adherence. This work consisted of an empirical study, exploratory qualitative research design, with the application of semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis and supported by the Theory of Social Representations. Participants were women aged 25-50 years who were diagnosed HIV positive for more than six months, who were in attendance at a public health HIV/AIDS reference in a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data collection occurred during January-August 2010. As a result of this search was built two articles. The first was entitled Women and HIV/AIDS: a clipping of the epidemic feminization', aimed to identify the feelings, beliefs and ideas about the diagnosis received, the sharing of the diagnosis, and the consequences generated by infection of motherhood and marital relationship. The second is called 'Daily life of women with HIV/AIDS: a reading in social representations' which investigated the social representations of women about the infection of HIV / AIDS and its consequences for living with the diagnosis. The conclusions point to the necessary reflection on the vulnerability and expectations of women regarding gender relations. The statements found in this study indicate a greater empowerment of women with HIV, when it comes to coping with the situation after the diagnosis advocating for health care. / Fatores socioculturais permeiam a trajetória das mulheres diante da epidemia de aids e contribuem para a propagação da transmissão do HIV nesse segmento. Objetivando melhor compreender este fenômeno, buscou-se conhecer como mulheres soropositivas vivem seu cotidiano após o diagnóstico da infecção pelo HIV. Dentro disso, verificar sentimentos, crenças e ideias desencadeadas pela revelação do diagnóstico positivo para HIV; elucidar se houve mudanças no cotidiano dessas mulheres; identificar os cuidados referentes à saúde, à doença e a adesão ao tratamento. Este trabalho consistiu em um estudo empírico exploratório, de delineamento qualitativo, em que foram aplicadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas. Os dados foram analisados pelo método de análise de conteúdo temática e amparados pela Teoria das Representações Sociais. Os participantes foram mulheres na faixa etária de 25 a 50 anos, que receberam o diagnóstico positivo para o HIV há mais de seis meses e que estavam em atendimento em um serviço público de saúde de referência HIV/Aids em uma cidade do interior do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul/Brasil. A coleta de dados ocorreu no período de janeiro a agosto de 2010. Como resultado dessa pesquisa construiu-se dois artigos. O primeiro foi intitulado Mulheres e HIV/Aids: um recorte da Feminização da epidemia , o qual buscou identificar os sentimentos, as crenças e idéias sobre o diagnóstico recebido, o compartilhamentos do mesmo, e os reflexos gerados pela infecção sobre a maternidade e a relação conjugal. O segundo chama-se O cotidiano das mulheres com HIV/Aids: uma leitura em representações sociais com o objetivo de compreender as representações sociais de mulheres sobre a infecção do HIV/Aids e seus desdobramentos para o convívio com o diagnóstico. As considerações finais apontam para as necessárias reflexões sobre a vulnerabilidade e expectativas das mulheres diante das relações de gênero. Entende-se que as falas encontradas no presente trabalho indicam um maior empoderamento de mulheres soropositivas, no que se refere ao enfrentamento da situação pós diagnóstico e ao protagonismo nos cuidados com a saúde.