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Qualitative Research Essay

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The purpose with this qualitative study is to investigate and characterize the experiences of men and women living with HIV in Sweden and explain these experiences in relation to their social well-being. Furthermore, the study aims to describe common patterns of experiences of people living with HIV infections as well as explore and describe how the infection has affected and changed people’s way of living. Social discrimination, life changes, emotional disturbances as well as dealing with the difficulties will be examined.
1.2 Central Research Question
What are the experiences of HIV-positive adults living in Sweden, from the HIV-infected individual’s perspective?
Sub-questions involve the following:
1: Do people infected by HIV experience …show more content…

target), identity (group-based vs. personal) and cognitive-affective-behavioral response” (Beaulieu et al., 2014 p.1). There are many definitions of the concept and it refers to prejudice, discrimination and negative attitudes directed to people carrying the virus (AVERT, 2016). It has been identified as being a great barrier to HIV prevention, care and support. HIV-related stigma is not only found among individuals and communities, but also in laws and policies across the globe (Bridges and Cheetham, 2011). Research has shown that such stigma negatively impacts the health and well-being of HIV-positive individuals (Chambers et al., 2015). Research has also shown that due to fear of stigma and discrimination has discouraged people from disclosing their status to family, friends as well as sexual partners (UNAIDS, 2014). However, there is little evidence showing and describing the experiences in terms of stigma and discrimination impacting the lives of HIV-positive …show more content…

Project Description
The project aims to examine and describe the lived experiences of adults living with HIV in Sweden. The study will examine the prevalence of stress-related events among the HIV-infected population and their feelings about disclosing their status. A research team will be responsible for the study and will include partners from a local academic institution and experts who can advise on the research design and sampling strategy, which will be appropriate for the specific context. When the research team will consider the sampling strategy, it is recommended that they contact UNAIDS for advice.
3.1 Theoretical Framework
Theoretical frameworks will be used to broaden the conceptual understanding when discussing the results from the study. The theoretical frameworks used in this study are social network theory as well as stress and coping theory. Social network theory refers to the way people, groups or organizations interact with others inside their network. Munger (1991) mentions that social support network is a set of interconnected relationships amongst a group of individuals, in which they make exchanges that are desired and beneficial to one another (Munger,

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