Embodied Work: Insider Perspectives on the Work of HIV/AIDS Peer Counselors

Abstract

Our aim in this study was to explore HIV/AIDS peer counseling from the perspective of women actively engaged in this work within the context of a community-based program in rural areas of the southeastern United Sates. Based on this research we suggest that the embodied work of HIV/ AIDS peer counselors is constructed around their personal identities and experiences. This work involves gaining entry to other HIV-positive women's lives, building relationships, drawing on personal experiences, facing issues of fear and stigma, tailoring peer counseling for diversity, balancing risks and benefits, and terminating relationships. Peer counselors recognize the personal and collective value of their work, which, like much of women's work within the context of family and community, lacks public visibility and acknowledgement. We discuss implications for the training and support of peer-based interventions for HIV and other women's health issues across diverse contexts and settings. KeywordsHIV/AIDS; peer counseling; women's work; women's health Peer-based interventions are well-established in many public health and social service settings and are increasingly popular as a strategy for reaching disenfranchised and marginalized groups around the globe (Boudin, Carero, & Clark, et al., 1999;Eng, Parker, & Harlan, 1997;Everly, 2002). Despite the recent popularity and proliferation of peer interventions, there is a need for more in-depth and contextualized knowledge of this NIH Public Access

‘We have beaten HIV a bit’: a qualitative study of experiences of peer support during pregnancy with an HIV Mentor Mother project in England

“…Consistent with studies of peer support in the context of HIV (but not pregnancy) in the USA,30 34 there were emotional challenges in supporting very vulnerable mothers (in particular distress at not being able to do more, and maintaining boundaries to the relationship), but the Mentor Mothers also experienced personal growth in self-esteem, and self-confidence through their volunteer role.…”

“…The emotional impact of Mentor Mother support could be transformational, helping mothers to overcome feelings of anxiety and depression,28 embodying hope,29 30 and offering a non-judgemental acceptance that helped mothers to repair their ‘spoiled identity’26 31 and accept themselves as HIV positive and as mothers. The key mechanisms were the Mentor Mothers' openness about themselves, their empathetic understanding and their proactive, flexible, empowering approach, which made mothers feel that they could speak honestly5 7 and would still be worthy of care and concern.…”

Qualitative Analysis of Peer Coaches’ Experiences with Counseling African Americans About Reducing Heart Disease Risk

“…While other studies have described peer coaches being worried that clients might ask them to perform duties beyond their scope, 26 this was not a problem for the peer coaches in this study. Some peer coaches acknowledged that significant emotional and personal support was occasionally sought by the patient-client, requiring lengthy phone calls.…”

“Trust Me, It’s Different”: Experiences of Peer Case Management of Women Living with HIV in Ontario, Canada

“…Finally, participants highlighted how the defi ning of a "peer" is complicated; only recently has research explored the mutual process of peer support (Hilfi nger-Messias et al,2009;Marino et al, 2007). People living with HIV are not a homogenous community; a peer's ethnicity, for example, may take precedence over HIV status.…”

“…Although peer support research has increased in many areas (Hilfi nger-Messias, Moneyham, Vyavaharkar, Murdaugh, & Phillips, 2009;Simoni, Nelson, Franks, Yard, & Lehavot, 2011), more in-depth, theoretical, and contexualized knowledge of peer support is needed , particularly for WLWH who represent a range of cultures and social locations.…”