The Experience of African women: HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer

This book focuses on the experiences of African women diagnosed with both HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer. What is it like to live with both the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer? The experience of physical symptoms, of living with HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer as well as the emotional experience were explored and described. The diagnosis of a chronic disease may be a painful and distressing experience for women. The pain that they go through may be a prevailing physical and psychological issue in their lives. Explaining one's own reactions and feelings to other people can lead to new insights into oneself and one's own experiences (Johnson, 2003). Furthermore, self-disclosure create the potential for trust, caring, commitment, growth, self-understanding and friendship, and further, "to like me, to trust me, to be committed to our relationship, to facilitate my personal growth and self-understanding, and to be my friend, you must know me".