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Table 4 Themes Identified through the Interviews

From: A qualitative study on mixed experiences of discrimination and healthcare access among HIV-positive immigrants in Spain

Theme

Brief Description

Barriers encountered when initially trying to access free healthcare services in Spain

Participants experienced systematic barriers (not being eligible to receive public health insurance card) and administrative barriers (front office staff at the hospitals) while trying to access free healthcare services in Spain.

Possible reasons of positive experience when initially trying to access free healthcare services in Spain

Participants identified sources who gave them initial guidance on the process of receiving free healthcare services and were perceived by the interviewer as a possible reason of overall positive experience. Specifically, guidance from an NGO, from a friend, hospital staff, or personal effort.

Experienced distress after being diagnosed HIV positive

Participants experienced emotional or physical distress and/or struggled to adapt to living as an HIV-positive person during initial period of diagnosis, throughout life, or described no negative time in their lives as it pertains to the adjustment to being HIV-positive.

Perceived and experienced discrimination due to being HIV-positive while in Spain

Participants had perceived fear of discrimination, experienced discrimination, experienced differential treatment, ignorance about HIV, as well as described not having any discriminative incidents as an HIV-positive person.

  1. NGO nongovernmental organization