MODULE TWO: COUNSELLING - FHI 360 Center for Global Health ...

Feelings and Emotions of HIV-positive Women
•Fear of disclosure: After receiving positive results, many women feel
overwhelmed with the burden of disclosure. The decision about who to tell can
be a very difficult one. A woman often learns her HIV status before her partner
learns his. The positive test result often comes as a shock to women, especially
if they have been faithful and committed to their partner. Often the male
partners blame the women for HIV because they do not want to accept
responsibility for it themselves. For this reason, many women fear rejection and
abuse, and as a result, they choose to live in silence with the knowledge of their
status. Partner abuse following disclosure of HIV is quite common, so
this fear is very real and valid.
Feelings of betrayal: A woman may feel betrayed by her partner, which could
turn into anger. Despite this anger, she may still feel powerless to confront him.
Feelings of inadequacy and helplessness: The woman may feel totally
immobilized by the knowledge of her status. This may be caused by poverty,
hopelessness about the lack of treatment, and the burdens of caring for her
family.
Fear of rejection and abandonment: Many women are rejected and/or
abandoned by their partners once they disclose their status. While this is
devastating for any woman, it can be especially difficult for women with children,
who must now raise and support them alone.
Self-blame: The woman may feel guilty about her status, especially if she has
infected a child.
Grief: The woman may grieve over the loss of her “old body”, including her
health, body image, sexuality and child bearing potential. In addition, she may
experience the loss of her partner or child to AIDS.
Stress: HIV can be both physically and mentally stressful, especially if the
woman cannot reveal her status to other people who might be able to support
her.
Differences with Men
How is counselling women about HIV different from counselling men? Both of
them have similar needs in terms of information and referrals. There are some
ways that women experience the disease differently, however, and these can
create unique counselling needs:
Session 8-Pg.8