No retreat, no surrender: A descriptive study of the experiences of aids activists

• Main Authors: Ching, Jennifer, Frias, Aileen, Tee, Mark Alastair Y.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2000
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/11637
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study aims to describe the experiences of HIV-positive HIV/AIDS activists from the time of their diagnosing up to the peak of their activism. In addition to this, the participants' perception of self, perception of illness and the factors that led to the participants' transformation into activists also had to be determined. To do this, unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted. 5 HIV/AIDS activists participated in the study, 2 male and 3 female, who were recruited t through referral of the Remedios AIDS Foundation. The data gathered, in the form of responses, was qualitatively analyzed using case analysis and cross-case analysis. Profiles were then made to add context to the responses. Themes of coping, acceptance, disclosure, family support, peer support, awakening, different course in life, realizing the importance of life, motivation, learning and belonging were the core of the activists' experiences. The most dominant perception of self was that of possessing lakas ng loob which served as the strength for their undertakings. The perception of illness was that it was a form of divine intervention in which God meant their acquiring their illness as a means for some greater purpose or to change the direction of their lives. The virus was also seen as a means of making the participants realize the importance of their lives. It was these responses that proved to be the key factors to their transformation into HIV/AIDS activists.