Missed opportunities for early HIV diagnosis: critical insights from the stories of Kenyan women living with HIV

Abstract

Early HIV testing is critical for prevention and timely treatment. Missed opportunities for HIV diagnosis can result in unnecessary deaths at a time when access to antiretroviral treatment proves lifesaving. While HIV prevention and treatment research has increased, less research exists on women's experiences with HIV diagnosis, despite the fact that women are most affected. Insights from local women are critical in designing culturally meaningful interventions that thwart missed opportunities for early HIV diagnosis. The purpose of our study was to uncover steps women took to know their HIV diagnosis. Using narrative inquiry methodology informed by postcolonial feminism, we interviewed 40 HIV-positive women in Kenya. Five themes emerged related to uptake of HIV testing for women: (1) spouse's critical illness or death; (2) years of suffering from HIV-related symptoms; (3) sick children; (4) prenatal testing; and (5) personal desire to know one's HIV status. These findings centered on women experiences provide an important basis for health promotion interventions related to HIV prevention, earlier detection, and treatment.