Sexuality and reproduction in HIV-positive women: A meta-synthesis
2016 (English)In: AIDS Patient Care and STDs, ISSN 1087-2914, E-ISSN 1557-7449, Vol. 30, no 2, p. 56-69Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The increased access to effective antiretroviral treatment (ART) has made HIV comparable to a chronic disease in terms of life expectancy. Needs related to sexuality and reproduction are central to overall health and well-being. An interpretative meta-synthesis was performed to synthesize and assess how HIV-positive women's experiences of sexuality and reproduction have been described in qualitative studies. A total of 18 peer-reviewed qualitative studies were included, which comprised a total of 588 HIV-positive interviewed women. The studies originated from resource-rich countries outside the Asian and African continents. The analysis, resulting in a lines-of-argument synthesis, shows that HIV infection was a burden in relation to sexuality and reproduction. The weight of the burden could be heavier or lighter. Conditions making the HIV burden heavier were: HIV as a barrier, feelings of fear and loss, whereas motherhood, spiritual beliefs, and supportive relationships made the HIV burden lighter. The findings are important in developing optimal health care by addressing conditions making the burden of HIV infection lighter to bear. In future research there is a need to focus not only on examining how HIV-positive women's sexual and relationships manifest themselves, but also on how health care professionals should provide adequate support to the women in relation to sexuality and reproduction.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Mary Ann Liebert, 2016. Vol. 30, no 2, p. 56-69
Keywords [en]
Adult, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, Decision Making, Female, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Humans, Middle Aged, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Infectious, Qualitative Research, Reproduction, Reproductive Medicine, Sexual Behavior, Sexuality, Africa, Article, Asia, Cinahl, fear, health care disparity, human, Human immunodeficiency virus infected patient, Human immunodeficiency virus infection, human relation, Medline, mother, peer review, personal experience, social belief, social isolation, social support, systematic review, thematic analysis, highly active antiretroviral therapy, meta analysis, pregnancy complication, psychology, transmission, virology
National Category
Infectious Medicine
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-33951DOI: 10.1089/apc.2015.0260ISI: 000369768200003Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84957613080OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hb-33951DiVA, id: diva2:1980640
2025-07-022025-07-022025-09-24Bibliographically approved