Living in a Serodiscordant Relationship: Knowledge, Challenges, and Coping Strategies among HIV Discordant Couples in Addis Ababa
| dc.contributor.advisor | Tadele, Getnet. PhD | |
| dc.contributor.author | Tadesse, Daniel | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-04-28T07:27:06Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-18T12:16:36Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-04-28T07:27:06Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-18T12:16:36Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2011-05 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: HIV discordant couples, where the male and female have different HIV test results, are the largest at-risk group for transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. Research in 12 countries in eastern and southern Africa shows that prevalence of discordant couples is high. ranging bel1Veen 36% and 85% (UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic: 2010).So far. most studies on discordant couples emphasized on the bio-medical aspect of the couples 'with onlyfew oj'them concerned with hovlI the couples managed the discordance. The present study shaded light on the pS,vcho-social aspect qfliving in discordant relationshljJ. Aims: The major aim of this study was to explore the experiences of HIV discordant couples in a steady relationship. Methods: A qualitative approach was utitized to achieve the o~iective of this study. Twenty two in-depth interviews were conducted with discordant couples and with an intention to elaborate in more detail the experiences of discordant couples; two oral histOlY case studies were conducted. These two cases were selectedfrom the in-depth interviews as they were found to be exemplary cases reflecting the communalities among discordant couples. Further, ten in-depth interviews were carried with key informants in order to assess health professionals' and counselors' explanation for HIV discordance and their experience with discordant couples. The samples were drawn using purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using the successive approximat ion approach. Findings: The study revealed that there were widespread misconceptions about J-/IV discordance among both HIV discordant couples and key informants (health care providers and counselors). These misconceptions in turn made HIV discordant couples to engage in risky sexual behaviors. HIV discordant couples experienced varieties of psycho-social problems such as fear of infecting and being infected, blame, neglect, guilt, and uncertainty. The couples also faced challenges regarding their sexual life like exhaustion with condom use, reduction in sexual desire and pleasure, reduction infrequency of sex and alteration in reproductive plan. Safer sex, coitus interrupts, non-penetrative sex, abstinence, communication, disclosure, silence, secrecy, cooperation, and religion were found to be the coping strategies of the couples. Finally, it was found that for some couples the presence of HIV did not bring any change in their relationship. Conclusion: Commonly, it might be assumed that at least the negative partner in HIV discordant re lationship makes every effort to avoid infection. But, the .findings oj' the present study confirmed that this is a mere speculation that significant number of informants failed to employ any preventive strategies and if any some of them were found to be ineffective like, coitus interrupts. Several factors which operate at different levels may contribute to such risk taking behavior indicating the utility of an integrated model to understand individuals ' health behavior. The extensive misconceptions about HIV discordance and ineffective coping strategies utilized by the informants suggesT the needfor micro, mezzo, and macro level interventions | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/31540 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | AAU | en_US |
| dc.subject | Living in a serodiscordant Relationship | en_US |
| dc.title | Living in a Serodiscordant Relationship: Knowledge, Challenges, and Coping Strategies among HIV Discordant Couples in Addis Ababa | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |