“My Determination Is To Live”: Narratives of African-American Women Who Have Lived with HIV for 10 or More Years

Abstract

Exploring the experiences of African-American women who have lived with HIV for many years can inform public health practice on how to better serve high-risk populations along the care continuum. To understand the experiences of African-American women who are HIV positive, the researchers used a narrative approach to guide repeat interviews. Under a theoretical framework of Womanism, we interviewed six African-American women ages 48-66 (M=57) who have lived with HIV for 10 years or longer and conducted analyses of narrative to identify key themes. The primary themes were: recollecting early hardships, HIV infection, and diagnosis; embracing social support; surviving and thriving; meaning making and HIV. The findings highlight the need for programs specific to long-term survivors, including resilience training, education programs on dating and disclosure, and opportunities to engage in meaningful work or volunteer initiatives.