Silenced voices: experiences of people living with HIV in the province of Gaza, Mozambique

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In the world, about 16 million women are living with HIV, many of them in reproductive age. These levels of infection and vertical transmission rates are still of great concern, due to the lack of early therapeutic intervention in many African countries. In Mozambique, a country in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV prevalence rates are 13.2%, placing the country in second place in terms of new infections, behind only South Africa. OBJECTIVE: To know the experiences and the main difficulties experienced by HIV-positive pregnant or lactating women and their sexual partners in the specific context. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative study carried out in Chókwè in the province of Gaza - Mozambique. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pregnant or lactating women living with HIV, with their sexual partners and with health professionals. Focus groups were held with mentor mothers and group interviews with mentor fathers, which took place in the second half of 2021. The interviews and meetings were recorded with a voice recorder and transcribed in full. The information went through the thematic analysis process. RESULTS: Ten seropositive pregnant or lactating women and one sexual partner participated in the study; thirteen mentor mothers and two mentor fathers; two Maternal and Child Health nurses and a psychologist. The findings reveal that the participants associate the HIV diagnosis with the pregnancy test or childbirth, and the period of pregnancy and breastfeeding is marked by the fear of infecting the child with the virus. Women hide their serological status from their husband, family and community for fear of consequences related to rigid social norms and interference of cultural factors. The results of health professionals brought similar aspects to those of women living with HIV, however, they highlight the lack of professionals to offer quality care. It was found that the health unit and the community use lectures as the only health education strategy, despite its low effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that there are still many barriers to preventing mother-to-child transmission in Mozambique, in particular, the quality of counseling and difficulties in accessing the service, whether due to lack of resources or social and family norms that do not recognize women's autonomy. . It is necessary to support mothers who do not wish to breastfeed and those who are more socioeconomically vulnerable. Greater investment in psychosocial support and community involvement strategies is recommended, using alternatives such as Integrative Community Therapy (ICT) and Popular Education. It is suggested the involvement of community leaders in the process of developing a program of intervention and promotion of mental health for seropositive pregnant or lactating women.