WORKING PAPER 08/224Title: Is it all chaos, loss and disruption? The narratives of poor, HIV-infected South African womenAuthor(s): René Brandt Date of Publication: August 2008 Price: R 5.00 Abstract The purpose of this article is to employ a qualitative research approach to explore whether the lives of poor HIV-infected South African women are predominated by chaos, loss and disruption. Five women were each interviewed three times over a six-month period. Data was analysed using a narrative lens as well as the theory of illness narratives. The narratives revealed that some disruption was associated with women’s initial diagnoses. However, they were typically not preoccupied with HIV unless they were actively ill and not receiving antiretroviral therapy, and even for these women, wellbeing shifted over time. Moreover, women had denial-based coping strategies that kept HIV and chaos marginalised. Competing narratives concerned with poverty were typically dominant and served as a constant through which women’s experiences were filtered. The case studies suggest that both mental health services and poverty alleviation are important components of appropriate health care for poor HIV-infected women. |