Social representations of elderly people about living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to understand the social representations of elderly people about living with HIV/AIDS. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, descriptive-analytical, with a qualitative approach and theoretical and methodological support from the Collective Memory Theory and the Social Representations Theory. Conducted with 38 elderly people. It used a questionnaire with sociodemographic data, health conditions, and a script for a semi-structured interview. The data analysis with the support of the QRS NVivo® Software and in the light of Bardin’s Content Analysis. Results: The social representations of elderly persons, about living with HIV were: ruptures, living with treatment and coping with prejudice and the struggle for (over)living: the fear of dying and the spread of the diagnosis. Conclusion: Social representations of the elderly about living with HIV/AIDS are about living with drug treatment, with the disruptions in their lives, health care, self-care, and pain of social arising from prejudice.