International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice Vol. 2(4), pp. 143 - 156
DOI: 10.13189/ijrh.2014.020405
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The Phoenix Rising: Widows Living Positively with HIV/AIDS

Sonny Jose ^1,*, Lakshmi Mohan ^2
1 Loyola College of Social Sciences, Trivandrum 695017, Kerala, India
² ASAP, Government of Kerala, Trivandrum 695001, Kerala, India

ABSTRACT

HIV/AIDS continues to be a massive development challenge for humanity as it deprives families, communities and entire nations of their young and most productive people. The stigma and discrimination towards persons living with HIV/AIDS not only affect them, their families but also prevent them from accessing treatment that is very important for their survival. This has significant ramifications on women especially since they are always more than often innocent victim infected by their husbands who eventually die within months of their being diagnosed as HIV-positive. Women with HIV or AIDS are sometimes mistakenly perceived to be the main transmitters of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Generally women are at a greater risk of heterosexual transmission of HIV and biologically twice more likely to become infected through unprotected heterosexual intercourse than men; they are also often blamed by their parents and in-laws for infecting their husbands, or for not controlling their partners urges to have sex with other women. The present paper is a case study that explores the experiences of a persons infected with HIV/AIDS, with their immediate family members, healthcare system, work place and religion and other social and institutional domains. It also takes note on the response of the affected HIV positive widows to their own infection. An attempt is made by the researcher to study and understand their lives and to document their strengths in adapting to their changed status and living positively with HIV/AIDS.

KEYWORDS
Feminisation, Discrimination, HIV/AIDS, PLHIVs, Stigma, Resilience, Widows

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Sonny Jose , Lakshmi Mohan , "The Phoenix Rising: Widows Living Positively with HIV/AIDS," International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 143 - 156, 2014. DOI: 10.13189/ijrh.2014.020405.

(b). APA Format:
Sonny Jose , Lakshmi Mohan (2014). The Phoenix Rising: Widows Living Positively with HIV/AIDS. International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, 2(4), 143 - 156. DOI: 10.13189/ijrh.2014.020405.