Self-relation and relation to other people among women who have AIDS virus

Abstract

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a stigmatizing disease that will remain with a person for life, turning it into a series of stressful situations and strong, often negative experiences. People living with HIV are under pressure of public stereotypes, pressure of feelings of guilt, shame and social exclusion. The new situation requires adaptation. It is success depends not only on the external factors of the environment in which the person resides, but also on subjective factors, on how the person perceives what is happening, how he assesses himself in the current situation. The aim is to study the characteristics of self – relation and relation to other people among women who living with HIV-positive status. The study involved 30 women living with HIV and 30 healthy women. The results show that self-incrimination and guilt predominate in the self-relation of women living with HIV-positive status. Attitudes towards other people can be called distrustful and alienated. Features of the emotional status of women are mistrust of surrounding people, incertitude in the situation of communication and feelings of anxiety. For women of this group, it is characteristic to evaluate yourself as unattractive in the eyes of others, expecting disrespect from others and attributing to oneself a low social reputation. The results make it possible to pay attention to the need to provide psychological help that promotes a sense of self-worth and self-confidence. Psychological help can have a significant impact on the physical condition of women with HIV-positive status.