International Journal of Gender & Women's Studies

Widowhood and HIV: A Narrative of Pain, Illusion and Predicament
Anu Malik, Shikha Dixit

Abstract
Narrative accounts of illnesses have been popularly employed to understand the cultural constructions, social issues, beliefs and representations of illnesses. The present paper employs structural analysis to explore the lived experiences of a widow – a woman and a mother living with HIV in a personal experience account. It portrays how a woman is blamed for bringing in HIV, dishonor and shame to the family. It provides the evidence of guilt that a woman forces upon herself after being widowed, infected with HIV and further becoming a carrier of the virus to her own children. There are indications of illusionary beliefs regarding the treatment and cure for HIV which can be dangerous and lead to the spread of HIV. It is significant in understanding the laymen‘s perception and construction of disease physiology. This narrative allows a glimpse into the concerned world of a mother and motherhood experiences when there are positive and negative children living together.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijgws.v5n2a10