Moral injury and the struggle for recognition of women living with HIV/AIDS in Indonesia

Abstract

HIV/AIDS is often considered a moral issue. Consequently, it causes a moral injury for people, including women, who live with HIV/AIDS. The feminization of HIV/AIDS over the last few decades has placed women in a group highly vulnerable to the experience of moral injury. Using Axel Honneth’s theory of moral injury and data collected from 33 women living with HIV/AIDS (WLWHA) in three cities in Indonesia, this article aims to analyze how these women deal with and survive moral injury due to their HIV/AIDS status. The study found that for many WLWHA, the experience of moral injury has destroyed self-confidence but at the same time also provided an impetus for struggle and collective action. These women were more likely to survive the negative impacts of moral injury when they received adequate support from three levels of interaction: interpersonal, the state, and society in general. Additionally, the level of participation in HIV/AIDS-related organizations contributed to different forms of recognition.