Life Story of and Depression in an HIV-Positive Pregnant Thai Woman Who Was a Former Sex Worker: Case Study

We describe the life story of an HIV-positive pregnant Thai woman—part of a larger action research study—with a case study methodology. The participant was chosen because of her unique and complex life story involving HIV infection, pregnancy, and former sex work. Bua (pseudonym), interviewed five times during 2001–2002, was a former sex worker who got married and later became infected with HIV through a sexual relationship with a man other than her husband. The significant events in Bua's life are outlined chronologically, and the social and cultural dimensions contributing to her depression are described.