Social Representations about HIV/AIDS built by the elderly: an integrative review

Introdu ction : the theory of social representations possible to know with more particularity how individuals see the reality facing the object / phenomenon from their experiences that are loaded with beliefs and values and guide their conduct. Objective: collect studies about the social representations of HIV/AIDS built by the elderly. Method: an integrative literature review that sought national and international articles in the databases: LILACS, SciELO and PUBMED, with time frame from 2005 to 2014. Results: we selected and analyzed six articles identifying four thematic groups that served as the discussion guide: HIV/AIDS and the biopsychosocial difficulties; Aging and HIV/AIDS: a double challenge; HIV/AIDS and ways of coping; Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Discussion: it can be observed that the social representations about HIV/AIDS built by elderly showed that the beliefs, interpretations and network developed symbolizations are complex, permeated by the disease and its biopsychosocial consequences. However, it turns out that, despite the complexity of the phenomenon experienced, people look for ways of coping, in order to improve their quality of life and leave it as close as possible to what it was before the diagnosis. Conclusion: it turns out that, despite the complexity of the phenomenon experienced, people look for ways of coping, in order to improve their quality of life and leave it as close as possible to what it was before the diagnosis.