| dc.description.abstract | eSwatini is the country with the largest HIV infection rate worldwide. In order to lower this rate, it is necessary to reach the 95-95-95 goals from the Joint United Nations Programme. The accomplishment of these goals will be more realistic by concentrating on rising the number of HIV infected individuals having a suppressed viral load. According to earlier research, a behavioural and social approach will be effective in addressing this. Since there is a gap in published research regarding experiences with ART adherence and (the implementation of) viral load testing in eSwatini this thesis studies the existing gap using the concepts of medicalisation and biopower. The following research question is formulated: How do people with HIV and health providers experience and practice HIV treatment adherence and HIV viral load testing in the context of an implementation study in eSwatini? This research question is answered by using a qualitative research design, using in-depth and semi-structured interviews. Initially, sensitising concepts were established, which supported coding of the transcribed interviews. It was expected that people living with HIV would feel empowered because of the use of viral load tests. Nevertheless, due to power dynamics between health providers and people living with HIV this was not the case. In the context of the MaxART study in eSwatini, people with HIV did not feel empowered because their HIV treatment adherence was medicalised, and they explained that they felt criticised. | |
