"Waiting to exhale" : the lived experiences of women diagnosed HIV-positive during pregnancy in Eswatini

Abstract

In Eswatini, pregnant women with the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) continue to experience challenges to maintain an adequate quality of life. Although healthcare interventions are implemented at healthcare centres to reduce the risk of vertical transmission, understanding the unique challenges faced by women during their pregnancy can help enhance the efficacy of interventions targeted at improving the wellbeing of pregnant women with HIV. This study explored the lived experiences of pregnant women with HIV to understand the emotional and psychological response to their diagnosis. This study further extended to identifying the challenges and opportunities women face following their HIV diagnosis during their pregnancy. In this instance, a qualitative phenomenological study was conducted, comprising data collected from ten women diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy via semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and triangulation. Findings indicate that women experience an extensive array of emotions, ranging from fear, guilt, depression, shame, hopelessness, acceptance, and grief. The findings also indicate that stigma and social isolation associated with HIV diagnosis enable them to avoid disclosure of their diagnosis, which exacerbates social and emotional challenges, paving the way to anxiety and depression. Regardless, women continue to find resilience against their challenges by accepting their diagnosis, maintaining open communication, engaging in spiritual and religious practices, and pursuing knowledge regarding the management of their health concerns and preventing vertical transmission. These findings provide implications for healthcare providers and policymakers to implement interventions that incorporate counselling, mental health support, and educational resources to empower women to navigate the emotional, psychological, social, and economic challenges during their pregnancy and maintain positive life prospects.

Eswatini, bantfu labasikatsi labakhulelwe labaneLigciwane Lesandvulelangculazi (i-HIV) bayachubeka nekubukana nebumetima ekugcineni lizinga lelanele lemphilo. Nanobe kungenelela kwekunakekelwa kwetemphilo kwentiwa etikhungweni tetemphilo kute kwehliswe bungoti bekutseleleka lokucondzile, kuvisisa tinsayeya letehlukile bantfu labasikati lababukane nato ngesikhatsi bakhulelwe kungasita ekutfutfukiseni kusebenta kahle kwekungenelela lokuhloselwe kutfutfukisa inhlalakahle yebantfu labasikati labakhulelwe labane-HIV. Lolucwaningo lwahlola lokwenteka kubantfu labasikati labakhulelwe labane-HIV kute kuvisiswe kuphendvula kwabo ngekwemoya nangakwengcondvo ekucilongweni kwabo. Lucwaningo luchubekile lwafinyelela ekutfoleni tivimba nematfuba bantfu labasikati labahlangabetana nawo ngemuva kwekuhlolelwa i-HIV ngesikhatsi bakhulelwe. Kwentiwe lucwaningo lwe-qualitative phenomenological, loluhlanganisa idatha legcogcwe ngetingcoco letingakahleleki ngalokuphelele letivela kubantfu labasikati labalishumi labatfolwe kwekutsi bane-HIV ngesikhatsi sekukhulelwa. Idatha yahlatiywa ngekusebentisa kuhlatiya kwe-thematic kanye ne-triangulation. Imiphumela ikhombisa kutsi bantfu labasikati babukana netinhlobonhlobo temiva, kusukela kwekusaba kuye ekutiveni banelicala, kucindzeteleka, emahloni, kuphelelwa litsemba kanye nelusizi lwekwamukelwa. Imiphumela iphindze ikhombise kutsi ngenca yekucwaswa nekuhlukaniswa emphakatsini lokuhambisana nekuhlolelwa i-HIV, bavamise kugwema kudzalula kucilongwa kwabo, lokwandzisa bumetima benhlalo nebengcondvo, lokuvula indlela yekukhatsateka nekudzangala. Nanobe kunjalo, bantfu labasikati bayachubeka nekucina ngalesikhatsi babhekene nalobumatima, bemukele kucilongwa kwabo, kugcina kukhulumisana lokukhululekile, kuhlanganyela emikhubeni yangekwemoya kanye nayetenkolo, nekuphishekela ngelwati loluphatselene nekuphatfwa kwemphilo yabo nekuvimbela kudluliselwa lokucondzile. Lemiphumela inemitselela kubanikati betinsita tetemphilo kanye nakubakhi betinchubomgomo mayelana nekusebentisa kungenelela kuhlanganisa kwelulekwa, kwesekelwa kwetemphilo yengcondvo, kanye nemitfombolusito yemfundvo kute kuhlonyiswe bantfu labasikati labatfolakala bane-HIV kute bancobe tihibe tangakwemoya, tengcondvo, tetenhlalo, netemnotfo lababukana nato ngesikhatsi bakhulelwe futsi bagcine ematsemba ekuphila lamahle.

Eswatini bakatjhane ba nang le lokwanahloko ya Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) ba tswelapele ho ba le mathata a ho boloka boleng ba bophelo bo lekaneng. Le hoja ditshebedisano tsa tlhokomelo ya bophelo di kenngwa ditsing tsa tlhokomelo ya bophelo ho fokotsa kotsi ya ho fetisetsa tshwaetso ho ya hodimo, ho utlwisisa mathata a ikgethang ao basadi ba tobaneng le ona nakong ya bokgatjane ho ka thusa ho ntlafatsa katleho ya mehato e reretsweng ho ntlafatsa bophelo bo botle ba bakgatjane ba nang le HIV. Thuto e ile ya hlahloba diphihlelo tse phetsweng ke bakgatjhane ba nang le HIV ho utlwisisa karabelo ya bona ya maikutlo le kelello tlhahlobong ya bona. Thuto e ile ya tswela pele ho hlwaya ditshitiso le menyetla eo basadi ba kopanang le yona kamora tlhahlobo ya bona ya HIV nakong ya boimana ba bona. Ho ile ha etswa thuto ya boleng ba boiphihlelo ba batho ba ketso e itseng, e nang le dintlha tse bokelletsweng ka dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng ho tswa ho basadi ba leshome ba fumanweng ba e-na le kokwanahloko ya HIV nakong ya bokgatjhane. Dintlha di ile tsa hlahlobjwa ho sebediswa tlhahlobo ya sehlooho le ya kgutlotharo. Diphumano di bontsha hore basadi ba ba le maikutlo a mangata, ho tloha tshabong ho ya ho ho ikutlwa molato, kgatello ya maikutlo, dihlong, ho hloka tshepo le maswabi ho isa ho kamohelo.Diphumano di boetse di bontsha hore ka lebaka la sekgobo le ho itshehla thajana ho amanang le tlhahlobo ya kokwanahloko ya HIV, ba atisa ho qoba ho senola tlhahlobo ya bona, e leng ho mpefatsang mathata a setjhaba le a maikutlo, ho bula tsela ya ho tshwenyeha le kgatello ya maikutlo. Leha ho le jwalo, basadi ba tswela pele ho mamella ha ba tobane le mathata ana, ba amohela tlhahlobo ya bona, ho boloka puisano e bulehileng, ho kopanela mekgweng ya moya le ya bodumedi, le ho phehella tsebo e mabapi le tsamaiso ya bophelo bo botle ba bona le ho thibela tshwaetso ya ho fetela hodimo. Diphumano tsena di na le moelelo ho bafani ba tlhokomelo ya bophelo le baetsi ba melao mabapi le ho kenya tshebetsong mehato e kenyelletsang boeletsi, tshehetso ya bophelo bo botle ba kelello, le disebediswa tsa thuto ho matlafatsa basadi ba fumanweng ba e na le HIV ho hlola ditshitiso tsa maikutlo, tsa kelello, tsa setjhaba le tsa muruo tseo ba tobanang le tsona nakong ya bokgatjhane le ho boloka ditebello tse ntle tsa bophelo.