14th International AIDS Conference Barcelona, Spain — July 7-12, 2002

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12;14:Abstract No. A10010

ISSUES: The objective of the workshop was to create an space for psychotherapeutical group conversation, where the participants could share their experiences, learn more about themselves, and work with their feelings and emotions.

DESCRIPTION: The workshop consisted of 4 sessions, each 5 hours long, the group was composed of 10 women that came from different hospitals where they received treatment for their disease, all of participated in a series of activities through which the following was possible: identifying and working with the emotions present, recognizing and associating feelings with their condition of HIV, recognizing the meaning of death, and looking for new explainations to reconstruct their lives.

LESSONS LEARNED: Through the contents shared during the workshop, it was possible to see that the moment when these women learned that they where HIV positive was one of the most marked events in thier lives. It has became a milestone which divides their life into a "before" and "after". Never the less, the problems and conficts that these women have are not different from those that any person faces. These women believe, howerer, that their problems are caused by their condition, and that all the things affecting them come a result of HIV. This situation prevents them from differenciating between the problems of everyday that every person has from those specifically caused by HIV. Therefore, it is tremendously important to change this belief and find new tools that allow these women to identify their problems, acknowledge their emotions, and change their explanations. On the one hand this allows the women to remain protagonist in their situation, and on the other, they maintain control and power over their lives.

RECOMMENDATION: The workshop can be improved by planning more sessions . Also, it is very important to offer the beneficiaries an individual psychotherapeutic space.

Presenting author: Milsen Bravo Villarroel

1tetemujica@mi-mail.cl, Chile.

020708
A10010

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.