title: Facilitators of and barriers to HIV self-management: Perspectives of HIV-positive women in China.
abstract: The aim is to explore perceived facilitators of and barriers to HIV self-management for HIV-positive Chinese women.
  
  
  
  Little is known about self-management among HIV-positive Chinese women in China. Understanding the experiences of this population is needed to promote self-management.
  
  
  
  27 in-depth interviews were conducted in Beijing and Shanghai. Facilitators included families being supportive after disclosure, patients learning how to live with HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, and rediscovering the meaning of life. Several barriers were also identified, including lack of support, stigma, fatigue, and financial difficulty.
  
  
  
  HIV disclosure is essential to obtaining necessary support. Ironically, disclosing to family members who stigmatize the disease may invite unwelcome responses. Helping HIV-positive women to decrease self-stigma and develop an effective way to disclose, if they choose to, is important.
  
  
  
  Future interventions should focus on disclosure strategies development and self-management to prevent isolation, enhance social support, and decrease self-stigma.
authors.affiliation: HIV/AIDS Unit, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Kerong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Yale University, Orange, CT 06477, USA.
authors.forename: Wei-Ti
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Departemnt of Nursing, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Departemnt of Nursing, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors.forename: MeiJuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: HIV/AIDS Unit, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China. Electronic address: 13911022130@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongxin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Departemnt of Nursing, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai 201508, China. Electronic address: luhongzhou@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hongzhou
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012648:Self Care
keywords: China; Disclosure; HIV/AIDS; Self-management; Support; Women