Quantitative Study on Individual Representations in Senegalese Patients Living with HIV (PLHIV)

Context: HIV infection is an infectious, viral, chronic disease described as a public health problem. It has an impact on bio-psycho-social well-being. Thus, the objective of our study is to decrypt the representations of HIV infection in our patients. Methodology: 31 consecutively recruited HIV-infected patients participated in our study. The completed questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, association membership, psycho-social aspects of HIV infection, mode of transmission and adherence to antiretroviral treatment. Secondly, we proceeded to an assessment of the psychological state of the patient. Results: Almost 77% of HIV patients do not date peers in an association. At the time of the study, more than half of patients or 19/31 with HIV had a positive image of the disease. Before the diagnosis of the disease, more than 2/3 of patients with HIV, i.e. 25/31, have a negative image of the disease. The 31 PLHIV have been aware of their positive HIV status for an average of 11 years with extremes of 2 years and 21 years. Almost 21/31 of PLHIV have shared their positive serological status. The main barrier in patient communication was the risk of disclosure of HIV status. Most of the patients (45.2%) thought of death when they announced their positive HIV status, and 19.4% thought of their children. In 80.6% of cases, relationships with family, friends and neighbors were normal and remained unchanged for 74% of patients. The patients thought they had been infected through sexual intercourse in 84% of cases. Our study showed that 6 of the 31 PLHIV experienced stigma. Among these 6 patients, 3 had psychological repercussions and a voluntary interruption of treatment. Conclusion: The representations are dynamic. In Senegal, the eradication of discrimination among people living with HIV must imperatively involve a reconstruction of individual, collective and social representations.