Diminished Sexual Activity, Interest, and Feelings of Attractiveness Among HIV-Infected Women in Two Eras of the AIDS Epidemic

Abstract

Despite the high prevalence of sexual inactivity, decreased sexual desire, and poor sexual satisfaction documented among HIV-infected individuals, women's experiences of sexuality following HIV-infection and their reasons for these sexual changes remain little examined. Further, the potential effects of the availability of HAART medications on their sexuality have not been explored among women living with HIV/AIDS. To examine these issues, focused interviews were conducted with two samples of women living with HIV/AIDS: one before the advent of HAART and a second matched sample interviewed after HAART became widely available. Women in both the pre-HAART and HAART eras frequently discussed decreased sexual activity, a loss of sexual interest, and a diminished sense of sexual attractiveness following their HIV infection. In addition, they reported a number of reasons for why they had discontinued sexual activity or were no longer interested in sex, including anxiety about HIV transmission, a loss of freedom and spontaneity during sex, fears of emotional hurt, not wanting the hassle of sexual relationships, a loss of sexual interest, and a diminished sense of sexual attractiveness. However, the types of changes in their sexuality women described, nor the reasons offered for these changes, did not differ between women in the pre-HAART and HAART eras. The findings suggest that therapeutic intervention may be needed by some HIV-infected women to overcome difficulties resuming healthy sexual relationships following their HIV diagnosis and offer insights into the potential content of such intervention efforts.

Sexuality and childbearing as it is experienced by women living with HIV in Sweden: a lifeworld phenomenological study

“…The last constituent is about re-creating sexuality and childbearing, which goes in line with the view of the relation between sexuality, childbearing and psychological factors related to HIV (Bova & Durante, 2003; Siegel, Schrimshaw, & Lekas, 2006; WHO, 2013). Our study shows that many of the women experienced negative changes in their sexual lives when being diagnosed with HIV, a finding in line with another recent Swedish study examining HIV-positive people’s sexual satisfaction.…”

Attitudes and perceived impact of antiretroviral therapy on sexual risk behaviour among young people in Kahe, Moshi Rural District, Tanzania

“…This is contrary to previous evidence showing that receipt of ARV therapy was not associated with resumption of risk sexual behaviour (Batenganya et al, 2005). Abstinence and reduced sexual risk behaviours have been reported to be preventive strategies adopted by the majority of HIV infected persons aware of their serostatus (Batenganya et al, 2005;Keegan et al, 2005;Schrooten et al, 2001;Siegel et al, 2006;Luchters et al, 2007).…”

Family Planning Among HIV Positive and Negative Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) Clients in a Resource Poor Setting in South Africa

“…Others studies have found psychosexual dysfunction among women with HIV (Gilling-Smith et al 2006;Bova and Durante 2003;Keegan et al 2005;Lambert et al 2005), although these symptoms were mostly among a small portion of the women interviewed and were unrelated to antiretroviral therapies (ART). For instance, Siegel, Schrimshaw and Lekas (2006) found that 30% of the women in their study experienced diminished pleasure on sex, diminished participation in sex, or diminished sense of sexual attractiveness. A study in Burkina Faso (Nebie et al 2001) revealed that only 3% out of 306 women in the study sample were sexually inactive after learning of their HIV positive status.…”