African and European HIV-positive women: psychological and psychosocial differences

The objectives were to study and compare the psychosocial and psychopathological aspects of HIV infection in African and European HIV-positive women living in France. All women included were seen in a semi-structured interview to assess personal history, history of their HIV infection, social and family relationships, preoccupation with childbearing and concerns about HIV infection and its prognosis. The comparison of psychological and psychosocial factors between HIV-positive African and European women showed certain significant differences. The demographic characteristics did not differ, except for current professional activity, with more African women being unemployed. The medical aspects of the HIV infection were similar to those described in the literature for the two populations. The most interesting findings were on the disclosure of HIV-positive status to family and friends, with significantly more European women informing friends and family, and on the desire to have children, which was much greater in African women; while they already had significantly more children, they still wanted to have even more. All these differences emphasize the need to adapt medical and psychosocial care to gender and to the ethnic and cultural background of the person.