Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2003 / Many myths and stigmas around HIV/AIDS continue to exist, despite various campaigns to educate South Africans about this terminal illness, and therefore an HIV positive diagnosis and the experience of living with it are usually kept secret. In order to facilitate a better understanding of HIV positive South Africans, it seems necessary to research their experiences. This study, using the phenomenological methodology, examined 6 HIV positive participants' written stones about their experiences of living with HIV. From these stories the following main themes emerged: disclosure, denial, stigma, physical symptoms, symbolic representations of HIV/AIDS, medication, depression, anger, and death, and from these themes strategies for survival materialized. The findings of this study show that HIV is often minimized by the infected so that they are able to manage the experience in more publicly acceptable ways, such as by focusing on common physical illnesses, and avoid facing the "emotional baggage" that accompanies this virus. The findings of this study reveal a need for further research in this experiential area as well as campaigns and education around issues such as stigma, medication, and emotional difficulties.