Being and Becoming a Helper: Illness Disclosure and Identity Transformations among Indigenous People Living With HIV or AIDS in Saskatoon,Saskatchewan

Abstract

Saskatoon has nearly half of the diagnoses of HIV in Saskatchewan, Canada, with an incidence rate among Indigenous populations within inner-city contexts that is 3 times higher than national rates. Previous research does not adequately explore the relations between HIV vulnerabilities within these contexts and the experiences of illness disclosure that are informed by identity transformations, experiences of stigma, and social support. From an intersectionality framework and a constructivist grounded theory approach, this research involved in-depth, semistructured interviews with 21 Indigenous people living with HIV and/or AIDS in Saskatoon, both male and female. In this article, we present the key themes that emerged from the interviews relating to experiences of HIV disclosure, including experiences of and barriers to the disclosure process. In the end, we highlight the important identity transformation and role of being and becoming a “helper” in the community and how it can be seen as a potential support for effective community health interventions.