El paciente experto 2.0 VIH: Molecularización, regímenes de vitalidad y nuevos ciudadanos crónicos

Abstract

The appearance of highly active antiretroviral treatments (HAART) marked a deep transformation in the lives of those diagnosed with HIV, as the retrovirus was no longer associated with fast and lethal immune system decay. These people inhabit a new vital space: the chronic disease, characterized by early ageing caused by chronic inflammation of the immune system. This paper puts forward the hypothesis that the chronic condition of HIV patients transcends the mere biological or biomedical realms to be defined in terms of what we will be call a regime of vitality. The production of a new type of citizen, the chronic ones, will be analyzed using a qualitative methodology. Citizens whose understanding of themselves and the world is shaped by biomedical norms and biological data related to HIV representations.