Coping with HIV and dealing with the threat of impending death in Nepal

Abstract

The number of people living with HIV is increasing in Nepal. While efforts have been made to measure the number of people affected by HIV and trends in the epidemic, little is known about how people with HIV perceive their disease, and how they cope on a day-to-day basis. The study also highlights the role of counselling and a variety of support systems. A grounded theory approach was used to explore the life experiences of people living with HIV in Nepal. A detailed study of 20 participants was undertaken. The participants experienced immediate and long-lasting psychosocial effects of HIV which included a prolonged ‘death phobia’ and heavy burdens of care. Particularly for women, the issues associated with decreasing health and fear of death was severe. A HIV positive diagnosis led some men to take fatalistic approaches, such as using drugs and alcohol to cope with HIV, whereas some women attempted suicide. Counselling and interactions between people with HIV and their HIV positive peers helped to overcome adverse psychosocial consequences and to cope with HIV.