title: Experiences of emotional abuse among women living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nursing Science , University of Pretoria , Pretoria , South Africa.
authors.forename: Winnie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chilemba
authors.forename: Neltjie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Wyk
authors.forename: Ronell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leech
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008295:Malawi; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012752:Shame; D012934:Social Isolation; D013240:Stereotyping; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*