摘要：HIV remains a threat to the ordinary everyday life of older woman in African society. In whatcan be called “a reality shock,” HIV challenges most of the ordinary everyday endeavors in conservativeAfrican societies as it imposes new Western prevention, treatment, and health-managementmethods over long-held African traditions. The reality of the “Western” HIV epidemic,and its impact on the “African” ordinary everyday life, demands that the infected undergo a paradigmshift in order for them to live harmoniously within their society. This calls for a re-examinationof traditional values and a strong sense of responsibility, courage, and determinationto remain relevant and not be considered odd in one’s community, especially as one grows oldwith the virus. The study, which focuses on the experiences of women from the ManicalandProvince in Zimbabwe who are aging with HIV, observes that growing old with an HIV infectionfosters forms of inner strength and wisdom that enable the infected to disregard some ofthe unquestioned traditions and employ effective ways of living well with the life-threateningcondition.
