‘I leave it alone and then I go on with my life’: meanings of living with HIV for men in irregular adherence to antiretroviral therapy

Objective: To describe and analyze the meanings of living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) for men with irregular adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Methods: Qualitative research conducted at an ambulatory of a school hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil, with 10 men. Data was collected from May to September 2011 through semi-structured interview and submitted to content analysis, resulting in the categories “Discovering the HIV infection” and “Living with HIV”. Results: The meanings of living with HIV are distinguished by the coexistence of some misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, consolidated in the epidemic onset, with new perceptions, derived from the gains resulting from use of ART, associated to the valuation of features that bring a sense of non-vulnerability to the man. These aspects can be understood as factors that are directly reflected in the way that the participant men adhere (or not) to ART. Moreover, the limitations imposed by the real conditions of the individuals’ life are highlighted, especially concerning the socioeconomic and cultural context. Conclusion: The process of living with HIV is characterized by complexity, which indicates the planning of health actions from a gender perspective to address the specificities of the masculine universe. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5020/18061230.2013.p480