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“My children and my home”: the most recent and challenging stressors of HIV-positive women

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Abstract

Because of negative health consequences and differences in exposure and vulnerability to stressful encounters, it is important to examine and understand the stressful experiences faced by women living with HIV. The goal of this study was to examine the most recent and challenging stressors faced and coping strategies adopted by a sample of women living with HIV. Using mixed methodology, narratives of six women’s most recent and stressful experience and answers to the Ways of Coping questionnaire were collected and analysed. Two main themes arose from the stressor narratives: child-related concerns and housing issues. To address these stressors, each woman used a variety of coping strategies, the most common being seeking social support even when stressors were analysed separately according to their main themes. Implications of these findings within service provision are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the entire wHEALTH Study Research Team, Voices of Positive Women, the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, especially Dr. Robb Travers and Jason Globerman. Most importantly, thank you to all the women who kindly offered a portion of their time and life stories.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ontario HIV Treatment Network, 600-1300 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M4T 1X3, Canada

    Uitsile Ndlovu

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5, Canada

    Allyson Ion

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 4th Floor, Fontbonne Building, 414, 50 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada

    Adriana Carvalhal

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  1. Uitsile Ndlovu
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  2. Allyson Ion
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  3. Adriana Carvalhal
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Correspondence to Uitsile Ndlovu.

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Pseudonyms have been used to protect the confidentiality of the participants.

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Ndlovu, U., Ion, A. & Carvalhal, A. “My children and my home”: the most recent and challenging stressors of HIV-positive women. Arch Womens Ment Health 13, 215–222 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-010-0148-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-010-0148-4

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