Coping Strategies Among Brazilian Pregnant Women Living With HIV

Abstract

Pregnant women living with HIV (PWLH) face tremendous challenges in order to prevent their babies’ infection. Coping is a potential buffer against negative outcomes from these challenges. This study aims to describe coping strategies of PWLH. This cross-sectional survey involved 77 PWLH from a public health care center in Brazil. Coping was measured for three types of strategies: Problem-focused, Emotion-focused, and Relationship support. Multivariate analyses identified some coping predictors. Being employed, reporting religious practice and higher CD4/immunity were associated with Problem-focused coping. Lower educational level was associated with Emotion-focused strategies. Relationship support strategies were more likely to be reported by PWLH who had good social support, who had disclosed HIV status to the baby’s father, and who knew their infection before pregnancy. Findings underline the need for HIV interventions focused on social support and participation by the baby’s father, with particular attention to those PWLH who were recently diagnosed and economically vulnerable.

Understanding coping strategies during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a qualitative study of women living with HIV in rural Uganda

“…Our study findings showed that some participants who had limited support from their partners became self-reliant to provide for themselves and their child. This finding is consistent with previous work showing that economic stability helps women with HIV to cope positively and overcome HIV-related stressors [ 54 , 55 ]. Although women are able to cope and are important actors, they should not be saddled with all the responsibility.…”

The dynamics of the production of AIDS-related stigma among pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…This resulted in a reduction of access to the material and symbolic goods that could have enhanced their education and career prospects, increased their ability to exercise sexual and reproductive rights and autonomy in affective and sexual relationships, and expanded their social support network; elements which improve coping with the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, understood as getting on with life and making plans regardless of the disease 14,15,16 .…”

Motherhood and HIV: reproductive desire, ambivalent feelings and a/an (not) offered care

“…Qualitative study. P = 841 people with HIV and 89 coordinators and professionals from HIV programs Article 23 (35)…”

“…The study pointed out that health professionals face a dilemma due to a general understanding that gestation in women with HIV is "itself" a "risk pregnancy" for both the mother and the baby, and for the partner who, in theory, is exposed to the infection, once the pregnancy is confirmed, it is made explicit the practice of unprotected sex (27) . A quantitative study in Porto Alegre with 77 HIV-positive pregnant women showed that the Brazilian strategies remain focused on the prevention of virus VT (21,35) . The risk of VT is used by health professionals both to discourage an intention to become pregnant and to guide the prophylaxis of VT (21) .…”