Emerging masculinities across the pathway of the disease: Implications for the health care of men living with HIV

Abstract

Twelve in-depth interviews with men were conducted in order to understand the meaning they attribute to their experience with HIV and how they construct their masculinity in relation to the hegemonic ideals present in their sociocultural context. The results indicate that during the course of illness there is a transformation of their masculinity, thus recognizing the physical, social and emotional vulnerability that involves the diagnosis of HIV, allows them to build an emergent masculinity that keeps the self-care and the normalization of life with illness. The elements of this emerging masculinity must be understood by health services and considered during treatment to facilitate comprehensive care.