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[Pregnancy in HIV positive women: psycho-emotional aspects. Study of 16 cases]
A Morini1, M Di Giusto, A Lambiasi
1Istituto di Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologia, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Roma.
The aim of this study was to analyse the day-to-day life of HIV-positive women during pregnancy and to assess the emotions deriving from their relations with the baby during the first few months of life. The study was carried out on a group of 16 HIV-positive women aged between 19 and 37 years old (mean age 27.3 years) who underwent a guided interview using a questionnaire. The questionnaire, which was mainly based on questions requiring a free answer, focused on four main areas: 1) the woman's reaction to HIV-positive status; 2) the influence of HIV-positive status on relations with her partner and surroundings; 3) the interaction between pregnancy and the HIV-positive status; 4) the relation between mother and children after birth and during the first few months of life. 56.25% of the women interviewed had become infected by intravenous drug injection, 25% through heterosexual relationships and 12.5% through blood transfusions. The cause was unspecified in 6.25%. The women had been aware of their HIV-positive status for between one and four years. Their reactions to HIV-positive status were predominantly denial, condemnation, and depression accompanied by a sense of death, anxiety and of being different. Relations between couples were influenced in a variety of ways by the new situation: 4 women reported a diminished frequency of sexual relations, one women reported reduced libido, 10 women did not notice changes in sexual relations and one woman did not reply.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The aim of this study was to analyse the day-to-day life of HIV-positive women during pregnancy and to assess the emotions deriving from their relations with the baby during the first few months of life. The study was carried out on a group of 16 HIV-positive women aged between 19 and 37 years old (mean age 27.3 years) who underwent a guided interview using a questionnaire. The questionnaire, which was mainly based on questions requiring a free answer, focused on four main areas: 1) the woman's reaction to HIV-positive status; 2) the influence of HIV-positive status on relations with her partner and surroundings; 3) the interaction between pregnancy and the HIV-positive status; 4) the relation between mother and children after birth and during the first few months of life. 56.25% of the women interviewed had become infected by intravenous drug injection, 25% through heterosexual relationships and 12.5% through blood transfusions. The cause was unspecified in 6.25%. The women had been aware of their HIV-positive status for between one and four years. Their reactions to HIV-positive status were predominantly denial, condemnation, and depression accompanied by a sense of death, anxiety and of being different. Relations between couples were influenced in a variety of ways by the new situation: 4 women reported a diminished frequency of sexual relations, one women reported reduced libido, 10 women did not notice changes in sexual relations and one woman did not reply.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)