Sexuality and health: a study of Tanzanian men's experiences of living with HIV/AIDS.
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.
Balaile
Gunnel
G
Division of International Health (IHCAR), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. gba@du.se
Jacob
Kayombo
K
Ransjo-Arvidson
Anna-Berit
AB
Bengt
Hojer
H
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013636:Tanzania; D055815:Young Adult