Introduction:

Out of the 36 million of people living with hivworldwide, approximately 63 % are actively working, yet very little is known about the meaning work has for them.

Objective:

To understand the meaning that work has for a group of workers with hiv living in the city of Bogota.

Methodology:

A qualitative, hermeneutic, interpretive study in which 11 workers (six Women and five men) voluntarily participated, chosen based on relevance and adequacy criteria. The sample was defined by theoretical saturation, and data was collected using a semi-structured interview. This analysis followed the hermeneutic techniques proposed by Diekelman, Allen and Tanner.

Results:

For the people participating in the study, the meaning of work, when you live with hiv, is supported under three categories: 1) “employability, type of job and schedules”, 2) “health, work and hiv” y 3) “the social and work environment of hiv”.

Conclusions:

Living with hiv means having less work opportunities, and it affects the worker’s conditions both in and out of work, mainly because of the stigma surrounding the infection, which leads to discriminatory actions and influences job opportunities. Working is a fundamental determinant to have access to healthcare and thus, maintaining it.

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