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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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"A shrinking kind of life"
— gay men's experience of aging with HIV | | Author(s) | James Masten |
| Journal title | Journal of Gerontological Social Work, vol 58, no 4, May-June 2015 |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis, May-June 2015 |
| Pages | pp 319-337 |
| Source | http://www.tandfonline.com |
| Keywords | Older men ; Ageing process ; Gay men ; AIDS ; Attitude ; Adjustment ; Attitudes to the old of general public. |
| Annotation | More people are living with HIV into midlife and older age. Although increased longevity brings new hope, it also raises unanticipated challenges - especially for gay men who never thought they would live into middle and older age. Middle-aged and older people are more likely to face multiple comorbidities, yet many lack the necessary supports to help them adapt to the challenges of ageing with HIV. This article presents the findings of a qualitative study developed to explore gay men's experience of ageing with HIV. Multiple in-depth exploratory interviews were conducted with 15 gay-identified men living with HIV/AIDS over an 18-month period. A systematic strategy data analysis consistent with grounded theory revealed a pattern of subtle adjustments to living with HIV that resulted in diminishing circles of social support and social involvement. This dynamic is referred to as `a shrinking kind of life', an in-vivo code built from the participant's own words. Four themes from the research are discussed: physical challenges; a magnitude of loss; internal changes; and stigma due to homophobia, AIDS-stigma and ageing. Conclusions include recommendations for future research and implications for practice in the field. Practitioners knowledgeable of the factors that impact their social involvement can empower gay men through individual and group interventions to confront a shrinking kind of life and define for themselves what it means to optimally age with HIV. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-150619216 A |
| Classmark | BC: BG: ES6DA: CQTT: DP: DR: TOB |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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