Sexuality and Health: A Study of Tanzanian Men’s Experiences of Living with HIV/AIDS

Balaile Gunnel, Kayombo Jacob, Ransjo - Arvidson Anna - Berit, Hojer Bengt

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore Tanzanian men’s experiences regarding their health and sex life after they had been diagnosed with HIV. In-depth interviews were performed with a purposive sample of ten men living in an urban area in Tanzania and who had been HIV positive for more than one year. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used for analyzing the transcribed interviews. Three themes emerged from the texts; “awareness of HIV infection”, “perceived and ideal health”, and “sex life a source of happiness and caring”. Living with HIV meant profound adjustments to daily life activities for the participants. HIV forced them to learn new ways of having sexual intercourse and new ways of acting as a man. The meaning of being a “real man” had changed from being a man with great sexual prowess to being a “caring man” within one relationship. (Afr Reprod Health 2008; 12[1]:35-46).

RÉSUMÉ

Sexualité et santé : étude sur l’expérience des hommes tanzaniens séropositifs Cette étude avait pour objectif d’explorer les expériences des hommes tanzaniens à l’égard de leur santé et de leur vie sexuelle après avoir été diagnostiqués comme étant séropositifs. Des interviews en profondeur ont été recueillies à l’aide d’un échantillon calculé de dix hommes qui résident dans une région urbaine en Tanzanie et qui étaient séropositifs depuis plus d’un an.  On s’est servi d’une approche herméneutique phenomenologique pour analyser les interviews transcrites. Trois thèmes sont sortis des textes ;  «la  conscience de l’infection VIH», «la santé perçue et idéale», et «la vie sexuelle comme une source de joie et d’affection». Être séropositif signifiait des ajustements profonds aux activités de la vie quotidienne pour les participants. Ils ont été obligés par le VIH d’apprendre les nouvelles manières d’avoir des rapports sexuels et de nouvelles façons de se comporter comme des hommes.  Le sens attribué au fait d’être un «vrai homme»  avait changé d’étant un homme à grande prouesse pour devenir un «homme plein d’affection», au sein d’une relation. (Rev Afr Santé Reprod 2008; 12[1]:35-46).

 

KEY WORDS:  HIV; sex life; phenomenological-hermeneutic method; interviews

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