Abstract:
Thisstudyon socioeconomic challengesfacedandcopingstrategies
Used by hivserodiscordantcouples
Wasconducted in jimmatown in
2012/13. Research objectivesare toidentify socioeconomic challenges of
Livingin hivdiscordantrelationship;to describecopingstrategiesofthe
Discordantcouples, and to examinepublicresponsestoward HIV
Discordance.Purely a qualitative researchapproachwasemployed.Given
Differentpersonal and structuralfactors, serodiscordantcouplespractice
Unsafesexhencethere ishigherprobabilityof infection forthenegative
Partnerand achild born to theunion ifthemotherishivpositive.
Challengesoflivingin hivdiscordantrelationshipsincludedifficulty of
Managingmarital andfamily relationships,thedilemmaofchildbearing,risk
Ofchild infection and lack oftheirwellbeing, forced changesin patternsof
Sexuality, stigmaand discrimination, lack ofsocialsupport, lack orabsence
Ofdependablelivelihood and income relatedproblems. Externalization of
Responsibility, blaming and non-blaming attitude,hope,secrecy,intimacy
And cooperation, avoidance, naturalization/normalization, sharing, denial,
Selfpraising,tolerance, andadherence are amongthe copingmechanisms
Used bydiscordantsin managing theserodiscordantrelationships. Finally,
Theissueofserodiscordanceisnotadequatelyprogrammaticallyintervened
Inethiopiatowardswhichtheseresearcherscall thecommitment ofall
Stakeholders.
