Percepção das mulheres vivendo com o HIV sobre o diagnóstico e o tratamento antirretroviral

Abstract

Introduction: HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the retrovirus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV compromises the immune system, which is responsible for the body's defense against diseases. The female population is vulnerable in several areas, and the discovery of the diagnosis and living with the virus in daily life would be no different, and may reflect in the emergence of mental health problems. Thus, the increase in women's susceptibility is visible, which may reflect in the abandonment of medication and a worsening of the health condition. Objective: To identify women’s perceptions faced with a positive HIV diagnosis and adherence to antiretroviral therapy treatment. Methodology: This is a descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach that used a semi-structured interview applied through a semi-structured form. We interviewed women aged 18 years or older who were undergoing antiretroviral therapy and followed up in a Specialized Care Service (SAE), located in a capital city in the northeast of Brazil, with a non-probabilistic sample of convenience, consisting of eight women, in the period between November and December 2022. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed according to Laurence Bardin's content analysis technique and applied as theoretical reference the assumptions of Margaret Jean Watson's Transpersonal Theory of Human Care. Thus, it became possible to identify three thematic axes: The feelings facing the discovery of the disease and the relationship with the treatment; Impact of mental health problems for the adherence to antiretroviral therapy and Acting as a nursing professional in the consultation with the person living with HIV. Conclusion: In view of the results, the importance of caring for the mental health of women living with HIV is observed, and, therefore, it is suggested that professionals rethink their actions to improve care for women living with HIV and assist in the process of adherence to antiretroviral therapy, emphasizing the need to act in a more empathetic way with this audience.