Accepting Being Poz: The Incorporation of the HIV Identity Into the Self

In a previous study, the first author of the current study examined how people who were diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) when it was considered a terminal illness incorporated their HIV/AIDS identity into the self over time. In the qualitative study reported here, we examined HIV identity incorporation in participants diagnosed with HIV after 1996, when it was considered a chronic illness in the United States. We uncovered a three-step process: diagnosis, a postdiagnosis turning point, and integration. We compared and contrasted the results to those from the previous study and studies of other chronic illnesses. The findings advance our understanding of HIV/AIDS, chronic illness, and identity. Practical implications for HIV/AIDS educators are also discussed.