Open AccessMy Body, My Stigma: Body Interpretations in a Sample of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico
Author(s) -
Nelson Varas-Díaz,
José Toro-Alfonso,
Irma SerranoGarcía
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2005.1861
Subject(s) - serostatus , stigma (botany) , psychology , qualitative research , perception , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , context (archaeology) , social psychology , gender studies , sociology , medicine , geography , psychiatry , family medicine , social science , archaeology , neuroscience , viral load
AIDS related stigma continues to impact the lives of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) negatively. Although the consequences of stigmatization have been widely documented, certain areas of study need to be further addressed in order to better understand their implications for PLWHA; such is the case of the perceptions of the bodys role in AIDS stigma. A qualitative study was implemented including 30 in-depth interviews of PLWHA in Puerto Rico in order to explore their perceptions of the bodys role in the process of stigmatization. Results include: participants perceptions on how their bodies evidence their serostatus, description of past body marks, personal experiences with body marks, meanings attributed to their bodies with HIV/AIDS, and personal criteria used to describe the perfect body. These issues are described in the context of the social stigma faced by PLWHA in Puerto Rico and individual perceptions of bodys role in the process of self-stigmatization. Recommendations for intervention and research are described.