AIDS Care Vol. 24, Nos. 1 2, January February2012, 143 148 Exploring positive adjustment in HIV positive African women living in the UK Bridget Dibb* and Tamra Kamalesh Department of Psychology, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK (Received 11 October 2010; final version received 14 June 2011) Research into living with HIV/AIDS has to date mainlyfocused on qualityof life and there is little on the adjustment process for this group. The numbers of African women living with HIV/AIDS in the UK is growing and yet little is known about the adjustment experience for these women. This study explored aspects of positive adjustment to living with HIV/AIDS among a sample of African women living in London, UK. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews with 12 women were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Two superordinate themes emerged inductivelyfrom the data: positive changes in coping (subthemes: positive interpretation of their situation and positive behavioural changes) and positive growth since the HIV diagnosis (subthemes: changes in the value of life and, changes in goals and opportunities). While these women acknowledged the negative impact of living with HIV/AIDS, all participants mentioned changes in health behaviours to help regain masteryof their lives and comparing with others better-off and worse-off was used to enhance self-esteem and view their situation positively. The data show evidence for Taylor’s Cognitive Adaptation Theory. Keywords: HIV/AIDS; positive adjustment; positive growth; qualitative; IPA Introduction Women currentlymake up one third of the popula- tion living with HIV/AIDS in the UK (Health Protection Agency[HPA], 2008) with over 70% of HIV diagnosed women reported as black African origin (Department of Health, 2005). Although limited, research into the experiences of black Afri- cans living with HIV/AIDS in the UK has largely revealed evidence of the difficult and negative aspects of living with HIV, as well as the additional difficul- ties of living life as an immigrant (Anderson & Doyal, 2004; Dodds, 2006; Doyal & Anderson, 2005b; Flowers et al., 2006; Ndirangu & Evans, 2008). However, research in the US shows there can be positive aspects to coping with and adjusting to traumatic events, including an HIV diagnosis, and that continued personal distress and growth often co-exist (Dunbar, Mueller, Medina, & Wolf, 1998; Gloerson et al., 1993; Littlewood, Vanable, Carey, & Blair, 2008; Milam, 2006; Schaefer & Coleman, 1992; Schwartzberg, 1993; Siegel & Schrim- shaw, 2000; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004; Updegraff, Taylor, Kemeny, & Wyatt, 2002). One theoryoffering an explanation for the relationship between positive adaptation and growth is Taylor’s (1983) Cognitive Adaptation Theory. This theoryviews people as adaptable, self-protective and functional in the face of adversity. The theory suggests that stressful events challenge core beliefs *Corresponding author. Email: bridget.dibb@brunel.ac.uk ISSN 0954-0121 print/ISSN 1360-0451 online # 2012 Taylor & Francis http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2011.597710 http://www.tandfonline.com that people are then motivated to restore: a sense of meaning (achieved bypositive growth), a sense of mastery(achieved bychanges in controllable aspects of life, for example, diet and exercise), and self-esteem (achieved through downward social comparison) (Taylor, 1983). There is some suggestion that positive adjustment maybe present in people with HIV/AIDS. For example, Flowers et al. (2006) found some evidence of positive ‘‘wonderful’’ changes resulting from an HIV diagnosis in male and female African partici- pants. Likewise, receiving care and medication that would be unavailable in their own countryhas been reported as a positive experience for African women living with HIV in the UK (Anderson & Doyal, 2004; Ndirangu & Evans, 2008). The benefits of practical coping on qualityof life was reported in a studywith HIV-positive African women (Onwumere, Holttum, & Hirst, 2002). Ridge, Williams, Anderson and Elford (2008) found that faith and prayer promoted hope and a positive state of mind in black African HIV-positive men and women living in London. Support for positive growth has been found in a diverse range of cultures and traumatic experiences, including people with cancer (Ho, Chan, & Ho, 2004), survivors of war (Powell, Rosner, Butollo, Tedeschi, & Calhoun, 2003), and people living with HIV/AIDS (Anderson & Doyal, 2004; Korner, 2007; Luszczynska, Sarker & Knoll, 2006). A study looking at the experience of living with HIV in African