Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has treatment and effective possibilities of control, hence motivating studies and professional interventions towards the improvement of the quality of life. To evaluate the perception of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and quality of life by Human Immunodeficiency Virus serumápositive individuals. Ninety-one subjects of both genders participated of this study. It was utilized the test of free association of words and the data were processed by the Tri-deux-mots software and interpreted through the factorial analysis of correspondence. The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome was represented as a disease that can cause numerous consequences such as psychosocial, professional, familyçand organicrelated. The quality of life was represented by elements that have both subjective and objective characteristics, enclosing this way, different matters present in the concept of life quality advocated by the World Health Organization, such as: the psychological aspect, social relations, environment, and spiritual aspects. Even though the antiretroviral drugs propitiate a general health improvement, they are not enough. Thus there is the necessity of an approach toward the psychological disturbs in order to obtain life quality in a more plentiful way.
evaluation; quality of life; social representation; Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
