Non-participation of HIV Positive Men in Support Groups

Introduction: Men living with HIV and AIDS generally do not participate in support groups even though evidence supports their effectiveness as a source of valuable support for people living with HIV and AIDS PLWHA). Study Aim: The aim of the study was to explore reasons for the reluctance of HIV positive men to attend support groups and examine their perceptions and understanding of the benefits of attending support groups for PLWHA Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was used for this study. A total of five (5) focus group discussions were conducted with HIV positive males receiving ART from Infectious Disease Clinic (IDC) at King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality in Mthatha Data analysis: Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data from the focus groups, using Nvivo8 a qualitative soft ware used for data analysis and coding revealed 10 themes with their sub categories. Findings: Findings of the research indicate that participants perceive support groups as being helpful to PLWHA. Participants have a broad and positive understanding of the benefits of participation in support groups..