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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Karolynn Siegel, PhD, Eric W. Schrimshaw, MA (PhD cand), and Helen-Maria Lekas, PhD. Center for the Psychosocial Study of Health & Illness, Columbia University, 100 Haven Avenue, Suite 6A, New York, NY 10032, 212-304-6489, es458@columbia.edu

BACKGROUND: Despite reports of a high prevalence of sexual inactivity, low sexual desire, and low sexual satisfaction among HIV-infected women, their accounts of how and why their HIV diagnosis has impacted their sexuality has received little research attention. Also unexplored is whether the extended survival offered by the availability of HAART has altered the impact of diagnosis on infected women=s sexuality. METHOD: To examine these issues, focused interviews were conducted with two samples of women living with HIV/AIDS: one before the advent of HAART (n=79) and a second matched sample interviewed after HAART became widely available (n=79). RESULTS: Neither the types of changes in their sexuality described, nor the reasons women offered for these changes differed between the pre-HAART and HAART eras. Women in both eras frequently discussed decreased sexual activity, a loss of sexual interest, and a diminished sense of sexual attractiveness following their HIV infection. In addition, women in both eras reported a number of reasons for why they had discontinued sexual activity or were no longer interested in sex, including: 1) anxiety about HIV transmission, 2) a loss of freedom and spontaneity during sex, 3) fears of emotional hurt, 4) not wanting the hassle of sexual relationships, 5) a loss of sexual interest, and 6) a diminished sense of sexual attractiveness. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that therapeutic interventions may be needed by some HIV-infected women to overcome difficulties resuming healthy sexual relationships following their HIV diagnosis and offer insights into the potential content of such intervention efforts.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the extant research on the prevalence of sexual changes among HIV-positive women.
• Suggest how the advent of HAART has changed the sexuality of HIV-positive women.
• Report on the types of changes observed and the reasons women offered for sexual changes.
• Apply these findings to the development of intervention efforts to promote healthy sexual relationships among HIV-positive women.

Keywords: Women's Sexuality, Women and HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered