“I shall conquer and prevail” – art and stories of resilience and resistance of the women, ART and criminalization of HIV (WATCH) study

In Canada, sexual assault laws have been used to criminalize people who do not disclose their HIV status to partners prior to sex that presents a “realistic possibility of transmission.” Women, ART, and the Criminalization of HIV (WATCH) is a community arts-based study focusing on the impacts of criminalization of HIV non-disclosure, including access of familial, community, and social service support. Seven Body Mapping workshops were held with 48 women from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Participants were guided through visual art exercises to create a Body Map, and connected images to personal stories through Sharing Circles. In feminist participatory analysis, connections between personal well-being, resilience, and resistance surfaced as dominant themes. Culturally relevant approaches to care that recognize and build on narratives of resilience and resistance in the lives of women living with HIV is of particular significance to social work and allied social service professionals.