Mulheres vivendo com HIV / AIDS : redes de apoio e enfrentamento do estigma na cidade fronteiriça de Pacaraima-Roraima

Abstract

Since AIDS has been identified around 1981 until now, it has already killed more than 35 million people around the world, one of the most devastating epidemics in history. In this context, a great number of women diagnosed with the HIV virus has significantly increased as of the 90s and continues to grow, affecting them especially in the reproductive age, which is in fact a broad public health problem, once the possibility of vertical transmission comes out considerably, in addition to highlight the unequal relations between genders, power and ties built and socially strengthen over years. This qualitative study sought to know the experiences of women living with HIV / AIDS on the border city of Pacaraima in the State of Roraima, and how the supporting networks that offer psychosocial aid to them, cope with seropositivity in that living area. Two resident women, diagnosed with the HIV virus and users of Basic Healthcare Centre, took part of this study, to whom individual interviews were carried out. Initially this work pursued for stigma and sexuality experiences, and then, from their reports, other categories came out, such as: unequal relations of gender and ties. The results point out that women are mostly silenced in their marital experiences, as well as in their potential actions before their own bodies and decisions. The findings also show that stigma still represents one of the most difficult aspects of living with HIV today, and that these women promoted confrontation in several contexts, getting support from their family members, health professionals, and also their family heritage understandings, such as health practices. In brief, to give visibility to this matter and to women living with HIV / AIDS perhaps encourage effective and efficient accomplishments of all professionals involved, based on ethics, taking into account individual aspects and undertaking for improvements in the quality of life and enhancement of the human being, as well as to evidence AIDS as an individual and collective struggle in times of disruption of social policies.