Making Sense of HIV in the Shadow of the AIDS Crisis: Understanding the Lived Experience of Recently Diagnosed Gay and Bisexual Men 50 and Over

This study presents an interpretive phenomenological analysis of how recently diagnosed gay and bisexual men 50 and over make sense of HIV. Six participants took part in a semi-structured interview guided by the research questions: What are the lived experiences of gay and bisexual men 50 and over in relation to their HIV diagnosis and what does receiving this diagnosis mean to them? Three master themes emerged: 1. The AIDS Crisis is a Persistent Echo in my Experience of HIV; 2. There Are Always Consequences With Disclosure; 3. HIV Changes the Self Through Growth or Paralysis. Important clinical implications are discussed for working with this population. The limitations of the findings and recommendations for future research are also discussed