Photography by Vicci Tallis, In partnership with the International Community of Women Living with HIV.

"I see a different me, a body that is not sexual, not feminine but distorted, disfigured and a reminder of my HIV status. I then ask myself – am I a woman, am I still a human being, can I be loved with this distorted body? My daily life is filled with inadequacy and low self esteem – I have lost the essence of me. Life saving drugs have saved my health but at the same time has taken my sense of self."

HIV is so much more than a disease: it impacts on how women are viewed in society and more importantly how they view themselves. Yet little attention is paid to how women often experience a shift in body image and identity.

Foreign/bodies is a collection of images that explores women’s negative experiences of living with HIV: the disconnect between self, identity, and body image—before and after an HIV diagnosis.

This ongoing project explores self image and self worth after diagnosis, stigma and discrimination, and understanding how women deal with the changing body shape due to the effects of HIV.  Key areas explored include the impact of treatment on body image, cervical cancer, forced sterilization, sexuality and identity, violence against women living with HIV—the physical and emotional implications, what it feels like to live with HIV and what it feels like to live with AIDS, documenting changes that can be seen and those that can not.

The project is being done in partnership with the International Community of Women Living with HIV, to improve the lives of women living with HIV, through highlighting issues and providing an impetus for policy and programme changes.

The first set of images (above) that have been produced explore one woman’s feelings about her body after being on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for a number of years.

She says, “I see a different me, a body that is not sexual, not feminine but distorted, disfigured and a reminder of my HIV status.  I then ask myself - am I a woman, am I still a human being, can I be loved with this distorted body?   My daily life is filled with inadequacy and low self esteem - I have lost the essence of me.  Life saving drugs have saved my health but at the same time has taken my sense of self." 

Many women who are on ART suffer from lipodystrophy (fat redistribution) which changes body shape by reducing fat in arms, legs and buttocks and increasing fat in the breasts, neck and stomach. Although different drug regimens do exist, that include alternative drugs with fewer side affects, these options are not available to women in most countries.

These images were originally published on ICW's website in September of 2015, here.