HIV AND WOMEN: STORIES THAT INSPIRE

HIV stigma still persists. Therefore, dealing with an HIV diagnosis or accessing HIV care can be challenging for many women. Experiencing discrimination can make some women reluctant to access treatment, talk about their status, or implement prevention strategies.

Women living with HIV can also experience internalised stigma, or self-stigma.² This includes feelings of shame, guilt, or blaming oneself for having HIV.²

When they share their HIV stories, women living with HIV help break down sigma and help other women feel supported and empowered. Breaking down stigma helps to ensure access to the right care and prevent further transmissions.

Read on to find out how women like Xiana have dealt with an HIV diagnosis despite such challenges.

Mothers living with HIV face additional challenges as a result of their HIV status. These challenges can significantly affect their mental health.

Many women are already at a higher risk of mental health issues during pregnancy and after giving birth. Depression, anxiety, and post-partum psychosis are only some of the mental health problems that can occur during pregnancy or after birth.³

Additionally, mothers with HIV may sometimes face stigma from some healthcare providers.³ They might struggle with having to disclose their HIV status (as it may affect the baby) and experience a lot of stress and worry about potentially transmitting HIV to their children.³ Finally, looking after your own health when you have HIV can be more challenging when you are a mother — caring for your child and caring for yourself at the same time can be a balancing act.³

These additional stressors may all affect the mental health of mothers with HIV and their adherence to their HIV treatment.³ Studies have found higher rates of depression after giving birth among women with HIV than women without HIV.³ They have also found these stressors cause mothers living with HIV to miss their medication and doctor’s appointments.³

However, many women with HIV have found inner strength and resilience, and with the support of their friends, loved ones, and their community, have taken control of their HIV status.⁴ This is the story of Helen, a single mother who first found out she was HIV-positive when she experienced symptoms in her feet.

Many women will have received an HIV diagnosis early in childhood when they were young girls. Girls (and boys) who discover their HIV diagnosis at such a young age can face significant difficulty, especially from a social and psychological perspective.⁵

Parents often avoid telling young girls that they have the virus, either to protect them or due to internalised feelings of guilt.⁵ This may not only stand in the way of getting the right treatment, but the secrecy around a child’s HIV status can seriously interfere with their emotional and social development.⁵ Finally, an HIV diagnosis can make it that much harder for a young child to make friends and ‘fit in’.⁵

Children need to be emotionally supported by their parents and caregivers when they are told about their HIV status.6 An early HIV diagnosis can continue to have a massive impact well into adulthood, so receiving support throughout puberty and adolescence is key.^5,6

Young women like Doreen have grown into strong, happy adults after being diagnosed with HIV since birth.

Some women discover their HIV diagnosis as adolescents. This comes with its own unique challenges, as during puberty and adolescence, young people tend to become interested in sex.⁵ Adolescence is also a time when friendships are at their most important.⁵

It’s key that adolescent girls know their HIV status when they are a teenager and if their status is positive, that they receive support so they can take full ownership of their HIV and make informed decisions about their lives.⁵

Managing your health, talking about your HIV status to your friends and facing potential stigma, all while becoming independent (and for some, also sexually active) can be a lot to handle for a young teenage girl.⁵ This is why social support is so important, and the HIV stories of women below show how this social support can vastly improve the lives of teens living with HIV.

The challenges faced by transgender women living with HIV are particularly complex. Women of transgender experience may face a double stigma: one due to their gender identity and how transphobes perceive it, and one due to their HIV status.⁷ Due to transphobia in healthcare, transgender women living with HIV have less access to HIV treatments and healthcare.⁷ Experiencing this double stigma has been linked with higher rates of depression amongst transgender women.⁷

Transgender women living with HIV may also experience higher rates of anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other mental health disorders due to the intersection of gender dysphoria, HIV-related stressors, and marginalisation.^8,9

For example, many women who cannot find gender-affirming care may turn to street hormones, which may raise the risk of HIV transmission through syringes.⁸ The double stigma that they then experience may restrict their access to HIV care or mental health support, perpetuating a spiral of inequity.8 Lack of access to gender-affirming care and hormones negatively affects the health and quality of life of transgender women.⁹

Finally, many transgender women living with HIV may not have supportive networks and acceptance within their families, communities, and society.⁹ These can all negatively impact their mental health and overall quality of life.⁹