Abstract
The research study that informed this article’s discussion, critically interrogates an HIV-infected research team’s positionality whilst conducting a mixed-methods’ study on HIV-positive patients’ experiences of the public ART programme at four ARV clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It primarily utilises the principal investigator’s (PI) narrative to explore insider/outsider positionality, reflexivity, bracketing and participatory action research through exposure of feelings, emotions, challenges, engagements, relationships and observations. The fluid positionality of the HIV-positive research team presented both challenges and opportunities. However, the opportunities for more HIV-infected researchers to engage in HIV-related research to assist with destigmatising HIV, close research gaps and the creation of a trustworthy research environment to achieve an ethical and reliable health science study, far outweigh the challenges. Further, such research can improve patients’ support and healthcare, healthcare workers’ perceptions of patients, and provide a guide for policymakers to better understand the recipients of HIV policies. Lastly, the term ‘HIV reflexivity’ is coined as a result.
Highlights
Over the past three decades many HIV-related studies have been conducted by social scientists, clinicians and anthropologists, to name a few
The research team and their positionality The research team comprised of the principal investigator (PI) and two research assistants who were conversant in isiZulu, Afrikaans and English
Health care workers the PI and research assistants had meetings with the gatekeepers at each ARV clinic to explain the research aims, objectives and positionality prior to data collection taking place, some nurses and counsellors at the ARV clinic where the PI is a patient viewed the process with some suspicion and questioned some participants
Summary
Over the past three decades many HIV-related studies have been conducted by social scientists, clinicians and anthropologists, to name a few. Few focus on HIV positionality, reflexivity, participatory action research and an insider/outsider dichotomy (Engler, Lènàrt, Lessard, Toupin & Lebouché., 2018; Mariam, Olshansky & Lakon 2018; Meintjies, Moorhouse & Carmona 2017; Reynolds, Camlin, Ware & Seeley 2016; Vernooij, Mehlo, Hardon & Reis 2016; Gerard, Birse, Holm, Gajer, Humphrys, Garber, Noël-Romas, Abou, Mccorrister, Westmacott, Wang, Rohan, Matoba, Mcnicholl, Palmer, Ravel, & BURGENER, 2018). I was aware that apolitical or neutral studies were rare as researchers’ beliefs, identities, values and backgrounds can influence them and affect scientific decisions These include what to research and which study methodology and analysis techniques to use (Vanner, 2015). I wanted to ascertain the scientific contribution of HIV positionality as well as its potential challenges within a sensitive and vulnerable study population
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