Date of Award

6-15-2024

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Anthropology

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology

First Advisor

Alejandro Cerón

Second Advisor

Christina Kreps

Third Advisor

Yavuz Yasar

Keywords

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Mother to child transmission (MTCT), Malawi

Abstract

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be the primary conduct that HIV is transmitted to children worldwide. The problem of HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is having a great impact on the world's children. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Malawi continues to be a serious public health issue, especially for expectant mothers. The health outcomes of mothers and children remain significantly threatened by vertical HIV transmission, even with improvements in preventive and treatment efforts. The purpose of this thesis was to explore the experiences of HIV-positive pregnant women in Malawi. I conducted semi structured interviews with thirteen HIV positive pregnant women and seven health workers in Balaka at Mbera health center from 27 July till August 25, 2023.

The main findings were that HIV-positive pregnant women face difficulties related to family dynamics, poverty, vulnerability, stigma and being dependent on their husbands for financial support. Pregnant women living with HIV also face numerous obstacles, such as limited access to medical facilities, long travel times that make it more difficult to obtain treatment and having to wait a long time to receive necessary care. The health workers emphasized how critical it is to attend to the HIV-positive pregnant woman's specific needs as well as the dynamics of her family, particularly her marriage.

The findings highlight how important it is to include husbands in HIV/AIDS counseling and talks, even if they test negative for the virus. Based on the findings I offer some conclusions and recommendations for different stakeholders.

Copyright Date

6-2024

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Gertrude Finyiza

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

132 pgs

File Size

608 KB

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