Significado atribuído pela pessoa que vive com o vírus linfotrópico de células T humanas a seu vivido: sob a ótica da fenomenologia existencial

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus was the first oncogenic human retrovirus that caused infectious disease, discovered in the 1980s, which mainly infects the cells of the immune system. Its object of study was: “the meaning attributed by the person living with the Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus to their life”. This study proposed as its objective “to understand the meaning attributed by the person living with the Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus to their life”. METHODOLOGY: This is a qualitative, descriptive, exploratory study, using phenomenology as a method of analysis, supported by Viktor Frankl's existential phenomenology. Approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Federal University of Alagoas, under Opinion 6.007.86. Twenty phenomenological interviews were conducted in a large hospital in the city of Maceió from August 2023 to October 2023, with the following trigger question: “Tell me, what is it like to live with Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus and what meaning do you attribute to your experience with this condition?”. The results obtained were analyzed following the anthropological foundations of Viktor Frankl. RESULTS: Three categories emerged: “Freedom of will in choices when faced with HTLV”; “Will for meaning in living with HTLV”; “Meaning of life when living with HTLV”. DISCUSSION: With the diagnosis, the sequelae and limitations caused by HTLV lead to sudden changes in lifestyle, with a notable emotional shock in the face of the difficulties caused by the disease. CONCLUSION: The unveiling of the phenomenon showed that people living with HTLV seek meaning through their daily activities, with social and family support.