Learning to Live with HIV: The Experience of a Group of Young Chilean Men

Macarena Belén Calderón Silva (), Lilian Marcela Ferrer Lagunas () and Rosina Cianelli
Additional contact information
Macarena Belén Calderón Silva: Master in Public Health Program, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 833150, Chile
Lilian Marcela Ferrer Lagunas: Master in Public Health Program, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 833150, Chile
Rosina Cianelli: School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 17, 1-9

Abstract: Young men aged 20–29 present the highest rates of HIV in Chile, yet little is known about their experiences after diagnosis. This study sheds light on the meaning of living with HIV for young gay Chilean males. Qualitative analysis of 11 in-depth interviews, employing Heidegger’s hermeneutical approach, resulted in a depiction of feelings of loneliness and sadness, encounters with discrimination, and a lack of social support. Participants also offer recommendations on utilizing peer support as an essential component for programs targeting young gay men living with HIV in the capital of Chile. Additionally, they suggest that health care providers play a crucial role in supporting the process of accepting the condition. Conclusions: It is imperative to enhance psychological support by integrating it into the HIV program for all clients and families facing crisis situations. The establishment of support groups within hospitals that are part of the national program providers is recommended. Education on comprehensive sexuality should be provided in educational institutions, alongside visible campaigns across all media platforms to dismantle the stigma linked to the disease. Lastly, improvements in care duration and support from health services can be achieved through the provision of comprehensive care founded on unconditional acceptance.

Keywords: HIV; young people; qualitative study; hermeneutic; acceptance process; stigma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/17/6700/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/17/6700/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:17:p:6700-:d:1231162

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().