Presse Medicale
Volume 41, Issue 4, 2012, Pages e204-e212

Representations and illness narratives in migrants HIV-patients originating from West Africa [Représentations et récits de la maladie chez des patients infectés par le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine originaires d'Afrique de l'Ouest et vivants en France] (Article)

Douine M.* , Bouchaud O. , Moro M.-R. , Baubet T. , Taïeb O.
  • a AP-HP, hôpital Avicenne, Université Paris 13, Service de maladies infectieuses et tropicales, 93000 Bobigny, France
  • b AP-HP, hôpital Avicenne, Université Paris 13, Service de maladies infectieuses et tropicales, 93000 Bobigny, France
  • c AP-HP, hôpital Avicenne, Université Paris 13, Service de psychopathologie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent et psychiatrie génerale, 93000 Bobigny, France, AP-HP, hôpital Cochin, Université Paris-Descartes, Inserm U669, maison des adolescents, 75679 Paris cedex 14, France
  • d AP-HP, hôpital Avicenne, Université Paris 13, inserm U669, EA4403, Service de psychopathologie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent et psychiatrie génerale, 93000 Bobigny, France
  • e AP-HP, hôpital Avicenne, Université Paris 13, inserm U669, EA4403, Service de psychopathologie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent et psychiatrie génerale, 93000 Bobigny, France

Abstract

Objective: Migrants, especially from West African countries, are highly affected by HIV in France but their representations of the illness have not been much studied. The aim of this study is to explore their representations of HIV infection through their explanatory models and etiologic theories. Method: Nine interviews of patients living with HIV from West African countries and migrants in France have been carried out with the Mac Gill Illness Narrative Interview, an interview schedule to elicit meanings and modes of reasoning related to illness experience. The illness narratives have then been analyzed through a method from medical anthropology. Findings: According to this study, aids remains a shameful illness, related to immoral behaviors such as unfaithfulness, intercourses with prostitutes or a high number of partners. Causality of illness is often related to the migration story. Stigmatization of people living with HIV is prevailing in the personal experience of the illness, which leads to underestimate oneself, to stop making plans for the future and brings social loneliness because of the secret around this illness. Conclusion: Like any illness, diagnosis of HIV infection involves questions: " Why me? Why now?" requiring an interpretation to recreate coherence in patients' lives. For medicals, caring about illnesses representations of the patients helps therapeutic relationship. Complementary surveys lead by a multidisciplinary team and an interpreter at different times could improve understandings of global representations of illness and their evolution. © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

personal experience morality Human immunodeficiency virus infection France human Africa, Western Health Behavior social isolation Interview, Psychological Human immunodeficiency virus infected patient causal attribution illness behavior medical anthropology HIV Seropositivity Unsafe Sex interview Confidentiality quality of life Humans male Emigrants and Immigrants Acculturation female geographic origin polygamy Africa Social Stigma prostitution Article Shame adult sexual intercourse Prejudice causality Loneliness population migration
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84858748199&doi=10.1016%2fj.lpm.2011.09.029&partnerID=40&md5=7f4a8cc59b5cc71e9b7cbe6accd8c0af
DOI: 10.1016/j.lpm.2011.09.029
ISSN: 07554982
Cited by: 4
Original Language: French