Psychosocial Challenges of Women Living With HIV and AIDs: A Case of Coptic Hospital, Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the psychosocial challenges faced by women living with HIV and AIDS. The study addressed the following objectives: establish the psychosocial challenges faced by women living with HIV and AIDS, assess how women living with HIV and AIDS cope with the psychosocial challenges, and identify the socio-economic status of women living with HIV and AIDS at Coptic Hospital Hope Center. The learned helplessness theory and learning theories guided the study, which employed a descriptive research design targeting 1,103 women living with HIV and AIDs and attending the clinic at Coptic Hospital Hope Center. A sample of 92 women was included in the study. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data, which was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 26.0. The findings obtained from the analysis are presented using charts and tables. The study found that a majority of the respondents did not experience negative psychosocial challenges. However, their HIV/AIDS status remained secret and was only communicated to close people. The study further found the respondents relied mainly on counseling offered at the Coptic Hospital to counter psychosocial challenges associated with HIV/AIDS. Finally, the study found social economic characteristics of the women did not adversely influence them as a majority were well off and were able to afford to live a decent life. The study recommends the need to persist on the counselling practices given at the Coptic Hospital as they seemed to yield results in managing psychosocial challenges. Furthermore, it recommends the formation of support groups to help cope with the challenges. These groups will serve to offer psychosocial support to women living with HIV/AIDS. Finally, the study recommends counseling that is centered on continuous analysis of the issues of people living with HIV/AIDS on basis of social-economic characteristics.