CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY I was diagnosed with HIV January 25,

2005. I was 19 years old and that was the worst day of my life, uttered in sobbing words of an identified HIV patient. Have you ever seized wondering and thinking about how people infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) feel, cope or live? In most cases the answer will be NO and that is not because people dont know about AIDS/HIV but rather, people ignore this problem and think that this lethal killer will never invade their blood. Luckily, majority of individuals will never get infected with AIDS/HIV, but there is always a chance that you will, and if it will happen, it will change all of your life. The AIDS/HIV is a very dangerous disease that sees no race, no color, no gender, no economic background and not even a specific age group. It can affect anyone, at any time if they put themselves in a situation where they could be at risk. The Acquired-Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) began to surface during the late 1970s, as physicians report a number of unusual disease conditions among otherwise healthy homosexuals. By 1981, the illness had been formally described and identified HIV-1, which was a previously unknown human retrovirus. into completion. The catapulting Whats more is that the number number of HIV patients in each of cases is reported to have steadily increased as each decade came generation has posed a threat in this growing population in the aspect of holism. Latest statistics revealed that from a meager number of cases as it was first documented, it has now peaked to an unprecedented alarming rate of 34 million HIV victims worldwide in all age groups marking the year 2011 as the most numbered year of HIV cases. In the Philippines which is one the seven countries in the world with steadily increasing prevalence rate, 483 HIV cases spiked to record in 2011. In Butuan City, City Government were alarmed and

moved to avert the spread of the dreaded HIV due to the rapid rise in the number of infected individuals which has inflicted 21 persons in the Caraga Region, and 6 of them are in Butuan City. Sad to note, these cases reported do not include other victims who do not submit themselves for testing due to fear of social stigma and shame under the public eye (UNIAIDS, WHO, UNICEF, AIDS Society of the Philippines, 2011). Substantial increases in life expectancy in persons with HIV have sharpened the focus on their quality of life. Many studies have examined quality of life in patients with HIV, but little information is available about lived experiences with HIV versus the factors that are specifically affected in the totality of the person diagnosed with HIV. Concerns came running up our minds: the quality of life among people infected with HIV, how they interact with what the black side of the society know and see, and how they cope daily with whatever their stressors could be. In addition to stressful disease management issues, persons with HIV experience ongoing social and psycho-spiritual stressors, both interpersonal and intrapersonal, associated with diagnosis of a lifethreatening chronic illness. These multiple, severe, and unrelenting stressors profoundly affect the individuals quality of life and tax existing coping resources. However, although some patients with HIV felt that their life had gotten worse since diagnosis; many patients felt that their life was better than it was before they knew they had HIV, often because they found new meaning and purpose in life despite perplexities or because they had stopped using injectable drugs and changed lifestyle from worst to good. This cross-sectional analysis was related in part to the coping mechanisms and superb strategies that the victim is constantly using to escape from the stigmatismfocusing on the positive, seeking and using social support, or searching for spiritual meaning in illness. Given symptoms, that HIV is a chronic effects, disease and punctuated by various

medication

side

occasional

opportunistic

infections, a remaining question is whether the entire well-being of the person specifically both social and psycho-spiritual aspects is greatly affected by the quality of life of an HIV patient from one's present quality of life and life before diagnosis. Each day, these patients experience events that challenges them in mind, spirit, and body in local settings or otherwise. In relation, different countries have voiced different concerns view on of HIV. Everyones to concern a on the subject varies greatly, ranging from stigmatism of the patients in the society, affecting their themselves quantitative viewpoint of the disease and how it reflects the country and the world as whole. Therefore, the researchers would like to commit to this particular title in order to identify problems other than the obvious discrepancies that these patients undergo, problems which can greatly affect a persons overall well-being including the activities of daily living (ADL). The study aims to open up gates for the government to create appropriate provisions to help the HIV patients deal with this chronic and incurable disease. It will also help physicians identify other risk rate. factors Also, among the HIV patients. benefits Furthermore, other HIV this also to aims to delineate possible causes of alarming outbreak of the said incidence study patients determine effective coping mechanisms useful in living up a happy life despite of the diagnosis and to identify factors associated with changes in opinions over time regarding whether life has improved or gotten worse relative to prior HIV diagnosis. To this end, this can explore the craft for the healthcare personnel to draw a holistic approach of care towards these patients, persons who are in need of social acceptance and respect that everyone has a lot to offer, including you.