Changes in the lives of Muslim women infected with HIV by their husbands in Thailand’s southernmost border provinces

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the stories of Muslim women living with HIV/AIDS after their marriage. The data was derived from in-depth interviews with 10 women infected with HIV as well as a focus group discussion and non-participatory observation of 10 public health officers and medical professionals and 10 people from their community. Analytic induction was used for data analysis. The results revealed that the informants were infected with HIV from their husbands after marriage because the husbands had been addicted to injectable drugs before marriage. Moreover, the study revealed that the women’s mental state wasn’t significantly affected. Some women experienced regret or ideas of committing suicide because of the death of their husbands as well as the lack of mental support, but not because of the diagnosis of the HIV/AIDS infection. The informants believed that it was a test by God and revealed no anger against their husbands who carried and transmitted the infection. Some of the informants, recognized as HIV carriers, could join hospital activities to get HIV drug resistance. Gaining acceptance from others encouraged these women to continue living. The subjects explained that they did not feel depressed by the infection or disappointed with those who did not accept them. Some of the women mentioned plans to move out to new communities in search of greater acceptance once they achieved better economic status. Moreover, the study confirmed that Thai people in the southernmost border provinces were overall still repulsed by and biased against those infected with HIV/AIDS.