Symptom Ambiguity among Late-Middle-Aged and Older Adults with HIV

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Abstract
The perception and evaluation of physical symptoms are central components of the illness and health appraisal process and affect subsequent health behaviors. This topic is explored within a study of the psychosocial adaptation of late-middle-aged and older HIV-infected men and women, age 50 to 68. Transcripts of in-depth interviews were read by an interdisciplinary team of investigators to detect prevalent themes. Thematic analysis revealed that older people with HIV often expressed confusion in trying to understand the cause of their symptoms. This symptom ambiguity was because they could attribute symptoms to a variety of other plausible causes such as normal aging, preexisting conditions, or drug side effects in addition to HIV disease. Symptom ambiguity appears to lead to both confusion and psychological distress and may influence subsequent treatment behavior.