Table 5.

Communal coping to improve health-enhancing behaviours

Characteristic	Exemplar text	Participant identifier
Communal coping within HIV-negative couples
Couples HIV testing and counselling (CHTC) Abstaining from concurrent sexual relationships	“[Couples] should get tested together to know their HIV status. Going for HIV test can make one to have the fear of engaging in extra marital affairs because once they are HIV-negative, they would want to protect themselves. There are very many beautiful ladies who are very tempting outside here but knowing my HIV status is what has been keeping me in check.”	Male partner #18, HIV-negative
Preparing mentally for the HIV test	“I first discussed with her in the house before we left for the clinic that we were going to be tested together for HIV to know our status early enough so that in case we are HIV-positive then we can seek help. I told her not to be fearful but to be confident as much as we didn't know what the results would be.”	Male partner #04, HIV-negative
Communal coping within couples that have an HIV-positive diagnosis
Resolve negative emotions	“I felt bad because… I felt that we were still too young and could not possibly be having HIV virus, but he tried talking to me until I accepted the facts, he also told me that he got courage after he was counselled from the hospital … I became courageous. When I enrolled for the ARVs [antiretroviral medications] I did not feel anything.”	Pregnant woman #36, HIV-positive
Cope with stigma	“I told her that in today's life, everyone is either infected or affected hence it is not strange that one is enrolled on care and advised her to go the to the hospital and take medicine.”	Male partner #21, HIV-positive
Medication adherence and clinic appointment reminders	“If they talk about [HIV] in the right and peaceful manner in their house, that is one thing that can unite them in their house, one of the good things about talking to your wife about your HIV status that men can see is that these women can remind them to swallow their medicine and also the date of attending adherence, it becomes their family responsibility.”	Male partner #31, HIV-positive
Avoid suicidal ideation	“If you don't understand each other then it becomes disadvantageous because everyone thinks of their own things. Someone might feel that since they have the disease then they should just die or do something that is not right and this will endanger their health.”	Pregnant woman #24, HIV-positive
Avoid violence and separation	“My sister found a man and got married [to him] without knowing that he was on medication [for HIV]. They stayed [in a relationship] for a while, gave birth to a child and decided to have some tests done. When she came back to tell the husband [of her HIV-positive status], he was very harsh and chased her away. She didn't take the husband seriously. He came back home very drunk, took a machete and chased her away.”	Pregnant woman #34, HIV-positive