Objective:

This paper aims to recognize what a group of people with HIV have regarding living with this disease and based on collective and subjective meanings.

Method:

The data collected corresponds to three discussion groups of 16 people with HIV, men and women from Cali, between 22 and 49 years sampled, through a Qualitative explanatory and following a narrative design.

Results:

As a result, everything related to collective meanings of the participants revolve around living with this disease (HIV), as follows: Felt stigma, real stigma, perceived stigma and self-stigma; in addition, the experience of stigma is directly related to the participants perception of themselves and the construction of their self-image and self-concept, transformed depending on how do these individuals assume the disease; finally, coping strategies used are based on caring for the image, avoiding emotional distress and feeling supported by someone close to them.

Con clusion:

This research findings make possible to show that HIV is the result of various situations associated, where social representations built around the disease are a central factor in coping with and how to live with it collectively. Themes such as collective memory, collective identity and the reconstruction of identity could make possible to reframe and enhance the image that people with HIV have of themselves and the social group to which they belong to as well.

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