Sant’ Anna Gandra

It is unquestionable that being diagnosed with a chronic illness has many implications. However, the diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has a particular impact on the carrier’s life and on their relationships with the people who mean the most to them, especially when we consider the stigma associated with it. Contact with these people has made us realize that even when they are hospitalized for hepatitis-related complications, they blame HIV and not Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC). The main psychological implication is anxiety, which was found in all of the subjects, which surprised us given that the literature places depression as the most frequent psychological symptom associated with HIV/AIDS infection, and no similar finding was found in relation to CHC. The qualitative methodology used aimed to give this work an exploratory, descriptive and analytical outline of the experiences and lives of 17 individuals with HIV/AIDS and HCC, to whom we tried to give voice in the expression of their physical, psychological and social suffering.