A woman arrives at the clinic for a routine appointment. She has ...

[joblessjake]

A woman arrives at the clinic for a routine appointment. She has been HIV positive for 3 years and states she is doing well. She currently is involved in a relationship with a man who is HIV positive.
 
  She states that she is not consistent with safe sex practices due to her significant other's preferences and feels uncomfortable asking him to wear a condom. Which is the nurse's best response to promote the client's health?
  A) You won't become pregnant as long as you are taking your drug cocktail.
  B) You will not be protected against other strains of HIV or sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
  C) You will both be safe because you both already have HIV.
  D) Let's have you both tested for STIs.

Question 2

A 32-year-old African-American client is diagnosed with HIV. She is at her 6-month appointment following diagnosis and treatment.
 
  The client states that she has not revealed her diagnosis to her boyfriend because she is afraid that he will leave. She expresses feelings of anger because she must put her feelings and illness aside or be abandoned. The client's behaviors reflect:
  A) Denial of her disease process
  B) Noncompliance with her drug regimen
  C) Inability to advocate for herself
  D) Fear of financial insolvency

[mistyjohnson]

Answer to Question 1

Ans: B
Feedback:
Although both the woman and her partner are already HIV positive, they can still transmit different strains of HIV to each other, as well as other STIs and can then go on to infect others. Thus, they are not safe and the woman should be encouraged to advocate for herself by insisting that her partner wear a condom. The client's drug cocktail will not prevent her from becoming pregnant from unprotected sex. Testing for STIs for the woman and her partner may be appropriate, but not until the client is made to understand the importance of protected sex.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: C
Feedback:
The concept of silencing the self has been used to explain how gender roles negatively influence self-advocacy behaviors in women. Women tend to silence their voice in relationships to maintain connections with others, even if that means they will subsequently suffer physically, psychologically, or socially. According to Jack (1991), women are reinforced culturally to (1) care for others' needs before their own, (2) abide by designated societal rules of behavior, (3) refrain from directly expressing their feelings and needs, and (4) outwardly maintain compliance, while feeling hostility inwardly, because of their silencing behaviors. Silencing the self is relevant to the proposed study because it is a concept that is identified and understood in the context of relationships with others, that is, a relational concept. There is no evidence that Carlene is denying her disease process, not complying with her drug regimen, or is fearful of financial insolvency.