Exploration of Discordant Couples Challenges and Coping Mechanisms: A Case of Rural Kiambu County, Kenya

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorGacheru, Mary Wanjiku
dc.date.accessioned2019-04-23T10:43:18Z
dc.date.available2019-04-23T10:43:18Z
dc.date.issued2018-08
dc.description.abstractHuman Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a health challenge to many nations. Different patterns of HIV infections have emerged where there are couples living together but have different HIV status, one partner is HIV positive while the other one is negative. Discordance can cause challenges in a couple relationship. HIV discordance is poorly understood among couples and the existing literature has not sufficiently addressed the challenges and coping mechanisms in the rural Kenyan context. Therefore this study sought to establish the challenges and the coping mechanisms of discordant couples in rural Kiambu County, Kenya. A sample of 30individuals living in a discordant relationship was purposively sampled for data collection. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was used to collect data from the discordant couples. The study found out that the discordant couples in rural Kiambu County experience negative emotions such as fear of transmission, anxiety, stress, worry, hatred, hopelessness, stigma and discrimination, blame and guilt among others. These negative emotions affect their couple relationship in a variety of ways including sexual distancing, lack of interest in sex among others. Relationship challenges are experienced from the couple as a dyad and from outside. Challenges such as reproduction, domestic violence and separation affect the relationship. The effects are manifested in such ways as family sizes, communication and good use of preventive methods. The study also found out that couples have different ways of coping like good use of condoms, good adherence to ART and PrEP, couple counselling and good communication. Besides getting free medication and condoms from the government through health facilities, individual couples have also devised their own coping mechanisms such as assertiveness, religion and networks with other discordant couples. For discordant couples in this County to live holistically, the study recommends that the County and National governments should increase funding to address HIV/AIDS related issues. The funds channeled through National AIDS Control Council (NACC) will facilitate the hire of more counsellors and social workers so that the needs of discordant couples can be met through counselling, social support and awareness of discordance among the general population.en_US
dc.identifier.citationTangaza University Collegeen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12342/822
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectDiscordant Couplesen_US
dc.subjectCoping Mechanismsen_US
dc.subjectDistribution of HIVen_US
dc.subjectEmotional Challenges that Discordant Couplesen_US
dc.subjectVoluntary Counselling and Testingen_US
dc.subjectSexually Transmitted Infectionsen_US
dc.subjectAntiretroviral Therapyen_US
dc.subjectCommunication among Discordant Couplesen_US
dc.titleExploration of Discordant Couples Challenges and Coping Mechanisms: A Case of Rural Kiambu County, Kenyaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
MARY THESIS (WIP) (Autosaved) AUGUST.pdf
Size:
3.27 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Exploration of Discordant Couples Challenges and Coping Mechanisms: A Case of Rural Kiambu County, Kenya
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
373 B
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Masters Of Arts In Counseling Psychology