Self-identity reconstruction: Lived experiences of surviving HIV positive spouses in relation to their acquired status in Gwanda South, Zimbabwe.

Author(s)	Dr. Sibangilizwe Maphosa, Mr. Theresi Sibanda, Ms. Selinah Bekezela Chirisa
Country	Zimbabwe
Abstract	The study aimed at exploring the nature of changes that take place in the surviving HIV positive spouses’ explanatory of their acquired HIV positive status. The death of a spouse has a far-reaching effect on the surviving HIV positive partner. Central to the surviving HIV positive spouses are questions of self and identity. Narratives provided the theoretical framework for qualitative research within a dialogical self-constructivist paradigm. Homogeneous purposive sampling was used and resulted in 10 participants. Semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis were used. HIV positive status devastates the body reducing it to a ‘spoiled self’. The surviving HIV positive spouses seek to develop an understanding of the self in response to the acquired status. Participants often engaged in self-deceptions and positive illusions, and this resulted in them failing to comprehend their HIV positive status as they kept blaming others.
Keywords	self, self-identity, self-identity-reconstruction, HIV, HIV-positive, spouse
Field	Sociology > Philosophy / Psychology / Religion
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 3, May-June 2025
Published On	2025-05-16
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i03.44475

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