Hope and Fear in Living with HIV/AIDS: a Phenomenological Study

The HIV infection is a serious health problem with major effects on various aspects of life. It is essential to understand the lived experiences of patients living with HIV/AIDS. The present study was conducted to investigate affected patients'' lived experiences. Methods & Materials: This qualitative study was carried out using an interpretative، phenomenological approach. Nineteen patients with HIV/AIDS were selected using purposive sampling method. Field notes، in-depth and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analyzed using the hermeneutic approach developed by Diekelmann (1989). From 19 participants، 57. 9% were males. Mean age was 39 years; 42. 1% were single; 47. 4% had CD4 counts less than 200 cells/mm3. The main emerged themes were as follows: 1) death way; 2) halo of worries; 3) hope to cure. Based on the final step of the Diekelmann approach، «being in state of hope and fear» was emerged as a constitutive pattern in patients living with HIV/AIDS. Patients with HIV/AIDS experienced fears، doubts، worries، hopes and many emotional challenges in different aspects of their lives. Caregivers should understand and comprehend the emotional states of the patients. Health care providers should design effective interventions to help individuals to cope with HIV/AIDS.