Essa é a minha cura!”: uma etnografia das experiências de vida de mulheres vivendo com HIV em Rio Tinto (Paraíba)

Abstract

In this monography, I propose to analyze the life experiences of three women living with HIV in Rio Tinto, a municipality located on the northern coast of Paraíba, considering the relationships within the dynamics of subject-health-territory. The ethnographic data underpinning this work are based on an ethnographic study conducted between 2020 and 2023, with a central focus on a primary health care unit located in a neighborhood geographically distant from Rio Tinto. The aim was to understand the prerogatives and applications of the policy of decentralizing HIV/AIDS care in the municipality, especially in the unit in question. The three women (Melissa, Marjorie, and Aurora) reside in this neighborhood – identified by professionals of the municipal primary care network as a vulnerable area – and must travel to the state capital, João Pessoa, about 75 kilometers away from Rio Tinto, to maintain their antiretroviral therapy. The anthropological approach was constructed to bring their experiences of living with HIV closer to the relationships between territory, health services, and the broader individual and collective dynamics. The results indicate that, in light of the challenges to accessing care and the implications of territorial dynamics, different strategies have been employed throughout their lives to navigate stigma and manage its effects.