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'My fear is to fall in love again...' How HIV-positive African women survive in London

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  • Doyal, Lesley
  • Anderson, Jane

Abstract

Many studies are now documenting the circumstances of people living with HIV/AIDS in different parts of the world. We know an increasing amount about the experiences of women who make up the majority of those infected in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. However, very few researchers have examined the lives of female migrants from the region living with HIV. This article begins to fill that gap by exploring the situation of 62 women from different parts of Africa receiving treatment from the National Health Service in London. It is based on a qualitative study carried out between 2001 and 2002 using semi-structured interviews. The analysis explores the ways in which the women's lives are shaped in complex ways by their sex and gender, by their status as migrants and by their seropositivity. It examines the nature of their survival strategies, focusing mainly on the management of information, the use of health services and the importance of spirituality in their lives. The article concludes by highlighting the paradox whereby these women have access to treatment that would be unavailable in their own countries but their survival depends on them remaining in a country which few regard as 'home'.

Suggested Citation

  • Doyal, Lesley & Anderson, Jane, 2005. "'My fear is to fall in love again...' How HIV-positive African women survive in London," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(8), pages 1729-1738, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:60:y:2005:i:8:p:1729-1738
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lawless, Sonia & Kippax, Susan & Crawford, June, 1996. "Dirty, diseased and undeserving: The positioning of HIV positive women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1371-1377, November.
    2. Erwin, Jo & Peters, Barry, 1999. "Treatment issues for HIV+ Africans in London," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 49(11), pages 1519-1528, December.
    3. Kesby, M. & Fenton, K. & Boyle, P. & Power, R., 2003. "An agenda for future research on HIV and sexual behaviour among African migrant communities in the UK," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(9), pages 1573-1592, November.
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    1. Cooper, Diane & Harries, Jane & Myer, Landon & Orner, Phyllis & Bracken, Hillary, 2007. ""Life is still going on": Reproductive intentions among HIV-positive women and men in South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 274-283, July.
    2. Xiang Yan & Jie Du & GuoPing Ji, 2021. "Prevalence and factors associated with fertility desire among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-21, March.
    3. Leah East & Debra Jackson & Kath Peters & Louise O’Brien, 2010. "Disrupted sense of self: young women and sexually transmitted infections," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(13‐14), pages 1995-2003, July.
    4. Elzenir Pereira de Oliveira Almeida & Modesto Leite Rolim Neto, 2020. "The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement: A systematic review with meta-analysis," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(2), pages 198-209, March.

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    HIV/AIDS African women UK;

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