Experiences of nine young adults living with HIV and AIDS in Uganda

Abstract

This five chapter thesis uses a form of narrative inquiry to detail the lives of nine young adults living with HIV and AIDS in Uganda. The principal investigator shares her personal story as a young Ugandan woman who came of age during the epidemic; she served as a child actor in prevention plays and as a caretaker for family and friends at a time when antiretroviral therapy was not available. She takes her unique experience back to Uganda in the summer of 2009 to listen to nine young adults tell their stories. The retelling of nine stories includes men and women, rural and urban, parents and nonparents, those infected by maternal transmission and those infected in young adulthood. Participants varied in their knowledge, feelings, practices, and aspirations related to their health. The discussion includes ideas about improving public health practice and conducting further research.