Quality of life of the batakness housewife infected hiv in hkbp aids ministry balige north sumatera: a qualitative study

Background: HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, UNAIDS having claimed more than 1,7millions women in Asia living with HIV and 90% being infected from husband or their sexual partner. Huria Batak Kristen Protestan (HKBP) AIDS Ministry as church committe who handled HIV-AIDS cases claimed than 603 people living with HIV and 138 died from HIV related causes and 6,8% cases among Batakness housewives. Being people who living with HIV causes not only dealing with disease conditions but also a very discriminatory social stigma. This stigma and discrimination often causes a decline in the quality of life of housewives. Objects: To determine and explore the quality of life among Batakness housewives with HIV who take antiretroviral therapy in term of physical, social, psychological and environmental aspects. Methods: The research used qualitative method (cases study design), with 7 informants who take ARV therapy ≥ a year in January to May 2019. The data were gathered by conducting in-depth interviews and documentary study and analyzed by using content analysis. Results: The result of the research showed that the QOL in physical aspects was good because the subjects realized the importance of maintaining physical health as PLHAs by taking ARV medicine on time so that there were no opportunistic infections that appeared. Social, psychological and environmental aspects it was low where the results of the study show that housewives with HIV lack social and social relationships and lack social support from their families and surrounding people which illustrates that there is still a lot of stigma and discrimination experienced by housewives. Negative stigma and discrimination were still experienced by Batakness housewives with HIV which had an impact on their low quality of life. Conclusion: It is recommended to increase good communication and community support especially a family to accept them to increase the quality of life among housewives who infected HIV.