Percepções do não amamentar em mulheres portadoras de HIV em hospital universitário na Paraíba

Abstract

From the moment that women find themselves in the concomitant condition of being pregnant and having HIV, a situation arises that goes against everything they have been taught about breastfeeding: the advice on not breastfeeding due to the risk of vertical transmission. The present study aimed to study the profile of these women and their perceptions about the impossibility of breastfeeding and had as a scenario the Specialized Assistance Service of a university hospital in Paraíba. Social data were collected and interviews were conducted with 21 HIV-positive pregnant women who were performing prenatal care in this service, so that their statements were listed in 6 categories of perceptions they had about HIV infection in conjunction with a pregnancy. It was observed that 71,42% of women were in a stable relationship; 61,89% were facing the impossibility of breastfeeding for the first time and 66,66% found themselves to have HIV only during prenatal care. As for the categories of speeches collected in an interview, it was observed that pregnant women go through a moment of difficult acceptance when receiving the diagnosis, having to face the dilemma between exposing or not the new situation to family members and spouses. This issue is mainly due to the prejudice surrounding HIV, with most of them reporting experiences in which they felt judged or were discriminated against due to their serological status. It was identified that, despite being aware of the countless benefits of the breastfeeding process, the baby's feeling of protection prevailed by depriving him of it. They are women who were aware of the negative repercussions of the infection in question, as they experience this daily, so they want to protect their children under any circumstances. However, the justification for preventing vertical transmission was not enough to make these pregnant women overcome the frustration of the impossibility of breastfeeding; thus denouncing the fragility and the need to improve the care network around them.