Experiences of Emotional Abuse Among Women Living With HIV and AIDS in Malawi

• Published in: Health care for women international Vol. 35; no. 7-9; pp. 743 - 757
• Main Authors: Chilemba, Winnie, van Wyk, Neltjie, Leech, Ronell
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 01-09-2014
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Adult; Clinics; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emotional Abuse; Emotions; Family; Female; Females; Focus Groups; Health care; Health Care Services; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health policy; HIV; HIV Infections - psychology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Husbands; Interviews as Topic; Malawi; Nursing; Personhood; Phenomenology; Public health; Qualitative Research; Shame; Social Isolation; Stereotyping; Stress, Psychological; Values; Women; Women - psychology; Women's health; Malawi
• ISSN: 0739-9332; 1096-4665
• DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2014.926901

Our aim for this study was to describe emotional abuse as it is experienced by women living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi. The study was conducted in the Lilongwe district in Malawi and used a descriptive phenomenological approach. Twelve women from two public health care clinics under the Lilongwe District Health Office were interviewed. Violating experiences that scarred the personhood and inherent value of being human were found to be the essence of their emotional abuse. Their husbands, family, and community members were responsible for the humiliation, abandonment, and blaming that caused them to feel hopeless.