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The experiences of nurses who blew the whistle during the COVID‐19 pandemic have exposed gaps and revealed an urgent need to revisit our understanding of whistleblowing. Aim: The aim was to develop a better understanding of whistleblowing during a pandemic by using the experiences and lessons learned of Quebec nurses who blew the whistle during the first wave of COVID‐19 as a case study. More specifically, to explore why and how nurses blew the whistle, what types of wrongdoing triggered their decision to do so and how context shaped the whistleblowing process as well as its consequences (including perceived consequences). Design: The study followed a single‐case study design with three embedded units of analysis. Methods: We used content analysis to analyse 83 news stories and 597 forms posted on a whistleblowing online platform. We also conducted 15 semi‐structured interviews with nurses and analysed this data using a thematic analysis approach. Finally, we triangulated the findings. Results: We identified five themes across the case study. (1) During the first wave of COVID‐19, Quebec nurses experienced a shifting sense of loyalty and relationship to workplace culture. (2) They witnessed exceedingly high numbers of intersecting wrongdoings amplified by mismanagement and long‐standing issues. (3) They reported a lack of trust and transparency; thus, a need for external whistleblowing. (4) They used whistleblowing to reclaim their rights (notably, the right to speak) and build collective solidarity. (5) Finally, they saw whistleblowing as an act of moral courage in the face of a system in crisis. Together, these themes elucidate why and how nurse whistleblowing is different in pandemic times. Conclusion: Our findings offer a more nuanced understanding of nurse whistleblowing and address important gaps in knowledge. They also highlight the need to rethink external whistleblowing, develop whistleblowing tools and advocate for whistleblowing protection. Impact In many ways, the COVID‐19 pandemic has challenged our foundational understanding of whistleblowing and, as a result, it has limited the usefulness of existing literature on the topic for reasons that will be brought to light in this paper. We believe that studying the uniqueness of whistleblowing during a pandemic can address this gap by describing why and how health care workers blow the whistle during a pandemic and situating this experience within a broader social, political, organizational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each of the antiretroviral drugs that are currently used to stop the progression of HIV infection causes its own specific side effects. Despite the expansion, multiplication, and simplification of treatment options over the past decade, side effects continue to affect people living with HIV. Yet, we see a clear disconnect between the way side effects are normalized, routinized, and framed in clinical practice and the way they are experienced by people living with HIV. This paper builds on the premise that new approaches are needed to understand side effects in a manner that is more reflective of the subjective accounts of people living with HIV. Drawing on the work of Deleuze and Guattari, it offers an original application of the theory of 'assemblage'. This theory offers a new way of theorizing side effects, and ultimately the relationship between the body and antiretroviral drugs (as technologies). Combining theory with examples derived from empirical data, we examine the multiple ways in which the body connects not only to the drugs but also to people, things, and systems. Our objective is to illustrate how this theory dares us to think differently about side effects and allows us to originally (re)think the experience of taking antiretroviral drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Facial lipoatrophy has been described as the most distressing and stigmatizing expression of the lipodystrophy syndrome, a syndrome that is caused by antiretroviral combination therapy. In recent years, reconstructive treatments (such as poly-l-lactic acid and polyalkylimide) have been increasingly considered for this condition. These treatments allow for facial contours and facial fullness to be restored while being minimally invasive. Objective: The main objective of this qualitative research was to explore and describe the experience of people who suffer from facial lipoatrophy, specifically in regard to reconstructive treatments. Method: A qualitative design, which incorporates explorative and descriptive attributes, was thought to be an appropriate choice for this research project. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews and was then analyzed following the principles of thematic analysis. Participants: Over a period of three months, 11 men and 1 woman enrolled in the study which was conducted in Montreal (Quebec), Canada. Findings: Overall, participants explained that facial lipoatrophy had forced them into a situation of intense vulnerability by making them recognizable as persons living with HIV/AIDS and discreditable in the eyes of others. In this sense, they were willing to go to great lengths to restore their facial features and regain a sense of normalcy. Findings revealed that people who suffer from facial lipoatrophy engage in a process of reconstruction to reduce the visibility and disruptiveness of their condition but face many uncertainties along the way. Conclusions: While the findings of this research corroborated what has been previously stated by other researchers about the impact of reconstructive treatments, they also shed light on the consequences of not making these treatments accessible as well as the undocumented realities of those who cannot afford the recommended course of dermal fillers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fear appeals are once again popular in public health campaigns aimed at preventing unhealthy behaviors and dangerous life practices such as smoking, unsafe sexual practices, drug use, alcohol abuse, impaired driving, etc. Every year in the province of Quebec (Canada), a new prevention campaign for sexually transmitted infections is launched by the SLITSS (Service de lutte contre les infections transmissibles sexuellement et par le sang). In 2006-2007, the SLITSS created a fear-based campaign entitled 'Condoms: They aren't a luxury' for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in young adults. The purpose of this paper is to share the results of a discursive analysis of the documents retrieved from this campaign, which was developed using commercial advertising and marketing strategies. Using situational analysis and the mapping process proposed by Clarke (2005), we critically examine the use of fear appeal in the campaign. Drawing on Michel Foucault's concepts of governmentality and bio-power, we assert that fear should be understood as a bio-political technology deployed to manage/govern young adults' sexual practices. In doing so, we critique the use of fear as a strategy to create a state of permanent (in)security and challenge the adoption of commercial advertising and marketing strategies to develop public health campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]