Exploring Resilience Among Black Women Living With HIV in the Southern United States: Findings From a Qualitative Study.

This was a secondary analysis of data collected for another study. Resilience and social support were not originally the focus of the qualitative study. Only 20 Black women from one North Carolina site of a larger cohort were analysed, so findings may not apply to women in other regions or to women of other racial or ethnic groups. Interviews were completed during a 4-month period, so the findings are a point-in-time account rather than a description of how resilience changes over time. The study did not measure how long participants had lived with HIV, so it cannot describe how these experiences change across the illness trajectory. The interview guide did not specifically ask about service or advocacy, so not all participants reported on those activities. The interviewer was a White man, and the authors noted a possible power difference that may have influenced responses.

The authors reported no real or perceived conflicts of interest. The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural research.

Do not read these themes as proof that disclosure, support groups, or provider kindness improve HIV outcomes. The study was qualitative and secondary, and it did not test whether these experiences caused greater resilience or better care.