Elderly People's Memories about the Itinerary of the HIV/AIDS Diagnosis

This study aimed to analyze the remembrances of elderly people about their illness and the path taken in health services until diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. This is a cross-sectional and descriptive analytical study, with a qualitative approach and theoretical and methodological support from the social representations theory and conducted with 38 elderly people. A questionnaire with sociodemographic data, health conditions, and a script for semi-structured interviews was used. Data analysis was performed with the support of the QRS NVivo^® software and in light of Bardin's content analysis. In relation to the itinerary to the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, the memories are from manifestations of opportunistic diseases and of a long trajectory with health problems and hospitalizations in search of a late diagnosis. The representation of death associated with the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS materializes for some with the loss of the partner in this process of searching for the diagnosis.