| Summary: | HIV/AIDS research has proven crucial in an effort to prevent and manage this
epidemic. However, there is little research being done in an attempt to understand the
internal worlds of those living with HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this research was to
begin to explore the relationship that exists between the person living with HIV/AIDS
and the virus, as an internal object, inside them. This study focused on 6 women who
were on Anti-Retroviral Medication (ARVs), and who have been diagnosed for at
least one year. The participants’ mental representations of the virus as an object inside
them was explored, as well as how they experienced and viewed the triangular
relationship that exists between themselves, the HI Virus, and the ARVs. This
exploratory research utilised a qualitative framework in order to understand and
explore these relationships and perceptions, with psychoanalytic theory being used a
lens through which to view the data that emerged. In depth semi-structured interviews
were conducted with the participants, and the corpus of data was analyzed using a
thematic content analysis. In addition, the participants were asked to draw the virus
inside their bodies. These were analyzed using a technique devised by Paola Luzzatto
(1987) in a study exploring the internal world of drug-abusers. For the purpose of this
study, a variation of the same art therapy technique was used in that the participants
were asked the ‘draw the virus in their bodies’. Whilst the drawings allowed for
insight into the internal worlds of the participants, the drawings were also used as a
point of departure. For most of the women, HIV was drawn using a red crayon, whilst
the ARVs were drawn in either yellow or green. As depicted in the drawings, post
diagnosis the HIV/red seemed to cover most of the body, but later when the
ARVs/green was added, more of a balance was achieved. Results show that for these
women, HIV was often perceived as dangerous and criminal, whilst the ARVs were
often associated with security. From the perspective of Kleinian theory, the perception
of the HIV and the ARVs seemed to be dependent upon the position from where they
were functioning: either a paranoid-schizoid or a depressive position.
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