The author analyzes, from an anthrosociological perspective, the behaviors of HIV-positive individuals—which are similar to those of people with serious illnesses—when seeking information, treatments, and caregivers. She situates this phenomenon within the context of the perpetuation of practices rooted in cultural and family traditions. Self-management of the illness follows "pathways" linked to expectations and conceptions of health (physical and mental aspects) and illness (ethological and social aspects), which are inseparable. The concepts of the body’s vulnerability and the punishment of a fault (symbolic interpretation) also come into play. The determination of the territory (often extending beyond borders) within which the search for care takes place is strongly linked to the desire for secrecy, to the search for caregivers and treatments other than those of conventional medicine, which draws on cultural references different from their own.