Fear Of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Research Articles

HIV/AIDS risk behavior of female sex workers in Mexico: Comparison of interviews with a cohort study in San Bernardino, California

To compare exposure to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by Mexican and Southern California female street sex workers (FSWs), 72 Intravenous Drug Using (IDU) FSWs in San Bernardino, California (1988) and 102 FSWs in four Mexican cities (1998) were interviewed. Both the American and Mexican FSWs were afraid of AIDS. However, the American FSWs were rarely tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Unlike their American counterpart, Mexican FSWs were usually not IDUs and knew less about HIV transmission. Still, the fear of AIDS and other STDs is not as much of a burning concern among FSWs south of the border because of the legalized prostitution system and use of condoms. Significant differences exist between the two groups at risk of exposure to HIV and other STDs because of the legal environment, sociology, and economics of street sex work. Prostitution is a means of livelihood for the Mexican FSWs compared with their American counterparts north of the border who engage in prostitution for drug money and are at greater risk for acquiring STDs. The inexorable conclusion of this study is that to reduce AIDS and other STDs among American FSWs, a Mexican‐style decriminalization of commercial sex work and registration system with needle‐exchange, free methadone, and heroin maintenance must be instituted in the U.S. However, political, economic, and moral constraints color the context of these decisions making them unlikely in the near term.

Attitudes, concerns, and fear of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome among registered nurses in the United States.

The article reports a study describing nurses' attitudes, concerns, and fear of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). A convenience sample consisting of 376 nurses in a mid-Atlantic state was drawn. An 84-item questionnaire was used to collect the data. Seven factors were derived from the subjects' responses using the Fear of AIDS Scale II: opinion and AIDS policy, blood and physical closeness to patients with AIDS, punishing the homosexual, ethics of care. "Who would care for me?" financial burden, and self-worth. Fear of AIDS Scale II scores ranked the highest whenever "self" was involved with AIDS issues or blood and physical closeness to a person with AIDS. There was a parallel increasing relationship between concern about contracting AIDS from patients and the fear of AIDS. A number of other significant correlations emerged from the study.

Factors associated with student nurses' intent to provide physical and psychosocial care to persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

This project examined the influence of selected factors on student nurses' intent to provide physical and psychosocial care to persons hospitalized with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Respondents were 125 undergraduate upper division nursing majors attending a state-supported university. Questionnaires were distributed to student mailboxes and were returned anonymously through the United States Postal Service. All factors were correlated with intent to provide physical care and with intent to provide psychosocial care using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients. For both intention scales, attitude toward a person with AIDS acquired through homosexual activity and attitude toward a person with AIDS acquired through sharing needles were positively related to intent to provide care. Homophobia, fear of AIDS, and perceived susceptibility toward acquiring human immunodeficiency virus from providing care were inversely related. These findings are useful for designing programs that promote the delivery of compassionate nursing care to persons with AIDS.

AIDS phobia, public health warnings, and lawsuits: deterring harm or rewarding ignorance?

Courts in more than a dozen states have decided cases in which a person has claimed money damages for his or her fear of getting acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although most courts have rejected such claims in the absence of actual exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), their reasoning has varied slightly from state to state. This article argues that negligence law should not permit people who are HIV negative to recover damages for an unfounded fear of AIDS. Public health statements intended to educate the public about preventing HIV transmission may have encouraged some fear-of-AIDS lawsuits against health care practitioners. Although well intentioned, such statements have been used to justify inappropriate restrictions on medical practice and disclosure of a practitioner's HIV status. To avoid such misuse, such statements should be revised to make clear that the way in which procedures are performed, not who performs them, determines HIV transmission.

AIDS-related knowledge, fear, and behavioral change among nurses in Taiwan.

Current literature documents a phenomenon of fear that affects the willingness of health care professionals to care for persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We attempted to identify differences between nurses who exhibit fearful attitudes toward AIDS and those who do not, based on knowledge and behavior. Taiwan, site of the study, is only beginning to identify the first of its citizens with AIDS. The subjects were a population of caregivers from a culture with little exposure, therefore, either through education or experience, to the disease and the issues it engenders. A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted in 1990 of 1759 nurses in 12 institutions throughout Taiwan. Data on AIDS-related knowledge, fear, and behavior, as well as selected demographic data, were gathered. Analysis revealed significantly less fear of AIDS among nurses who reported three behavioral changes related to AIDS than among those who reported fewer changed behaviors (F = 4.43, df = 3; P < 0.004); those with higher levels of education (F = 3.54, df = 3; P < 0.014); and those who were single rather than married (t = 2.81; P < 0.005).

Condom use: A self-efficacy model.

A survey of heterosexually active college students gathered information about condom use, self-efficacy (SE), outcome expectancies, sexual attitudes, peer group influences, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) knowledge, and perceived vulnerability to AIDS. On the basis of A. Bandura's (1986) social-cognitive theory, a structural model with SE as the central mediator was formulated and evaluated with LISREL. This model explained 46% of the variance in condom use from judgments of SE and effects attributable to peers and 53% of the variance in SE from outcome expectancies and peer group influences. Sexual attitudes, AIDS knowledge, and perceived vulnerability did not predict condom use. Most students were well-informed about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission but reported not feeling at risk, even though many engaged in risky sexual behavior.Psychological factors, associated, with sexual risk behavior were investigated guided by A. Bandura's (1986) social-cognitive theory. It was examined whether a self-efficacy (SE) model is capable of predicting condom use from expectancies, social influences, peer group comparison, sexual attitudes, perceived risk for HIV infection, and AIDS-related knowledge. A self-report questionnaire was developed to gather information. A final sample of 212 single heterosexual and currently sexually active undergraduate students (103 men and 109 women) completed an anonymous survey. The ethnic composition was 83% Caucasian, 8% African-American, 3% Hispanic and 6% other. The state religious affiliation was 28% Catholic, 37% Jewish. 24% Protestant, and 11% other. The mean age of the respondents was 21.4 years (men = 21.8 years; women = 21.1 years). The subjects reported a mean number of 1.8 sex partners during the past 6 months and a mean number of 5.4 sex partners during the past 3 years. Only 29% of the subjects reported consistently having condoms during the past 6 months. 73% claimed pregnancy prevention and only 17% mentioned fear of AIDS. 80% of the students perceived themselves only slightly at risk for HIV infection. The fit of the model was evaluated with LISREL VII. The variables in the model accounted for 46% of the measurement error variance in condom use and for 53% of the variance in SE. Consistent with social-cognitive theory, condom use was predicted by SE beliefs, but it was also significantly predicted by peer group comparison. SE was predicted by self-comparisons with one's peer group and by outcome expectancies: positive expectancies about condom use (disease and pregnancy prevention) were directly related to Se, whereas negative expectancies (reduction of pleasure) were inversely associated with SE. Consistent with predictions, AIDS knowledge was unrelated to condom use. A positive correlation between AIDS knowledge scores and perceived vulnerability to HIV infection was found, but perceived vulnerability was not a significant predictor of either SE or condom use.

Patients' Fear of Contracting the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome From Physicians

This study investigates patients' concern about the human immunodeficiency virus transmission from their physician during the course of routine medical care. We examined patients' fear of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus transmission, level of comfort with medical procedures performed by a physician suspected of having AIDS, perceived risk of AIDS transmission in physician-patient interactions, and the desire to be informed of the human immunodeficiency virus status of physicians. Three hundred fifty patients attending a university-based outpatient center in a large midwestern city were surveyed. Findings show that, as fear of AIDS increases, so does reported level of discomfort with procedures conducted by a physician suspected of having AIDS. Fear of AIDS was inversely correlated with knowledge. Patient concerns regarding susceptibility to the human immunodeficiency virus infection in routine care call attention to the need for education about transmission of AIDS in the health care context.

AIDS and Infections of Homosexual Men

We have seen tremendous advances in our knowledge of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The viral etiology has been proved beyond any shadow of a doubt, much of the public hysteria has abated, new approaches to diagnosis of and therapy for opportunistic infections have emerged, and prevention of some of those infections has become a reality. In the AIDS era, too, we often forget that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain serious personal and public health problems. It is important to recall that fear of AIDS may only temporarily dissuade promiscuity, and that STDs could well return to or surpass levels seen in the 1970s. This second edition of AIDS and Infections of Homosexual Men provides an opportunity to bring us up-to-date. It is really two books in one. The first half addresses homosexually transmitted infections—for example, chlamydial proctitis, intestinal parasitic infection, hepatitis B, and syphilis. A chapter on cryptosporidiosis has

Health Care Professionals and Fear of AIDS-Reply

<h3>In Reply.—</h3> Brattebø et al have missed the points central to our article and have misconstrued some of our arguments. Our intent was to explore why health care workers continue to fear acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) despite the kinds of reassurances proffered by Brattebø and to suggest ways of reducing that fear without labeling fearful people as ignorant, prejudiced, or homophobic. Some of the obvious reasons for the persistent fear of AIDS are listed by Dr Fribourg, but to view these as the only factors responsible is to oversimplify the problem. The debate over infection control provides a good example. It would be foolhardy not to support the full and consistent use of procedures to control infection as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. But we also support recognition of the fact that infection control is not infallible. Needle sticks do happen, albeit rarely, and they do puncture gloves.

Adolescents and AIDS: Female's attitudes and behaviour toward condom purchase and use

Condom use has been advocated as a method to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. Although condoms are not uniformly popular with adolescent males, adolescent females' beliefs about condom use are unclear. To assess the specific health attitudes and behaviors as they relate to condom purchase by adolescents, we surveyed 99 adolescent females between 12 and 19 years of age (50 black, 49 white) who were attending a comprehensive adolescent health clinic. The respondents were from low to middle socioeconomic backgrounds and 85% were sexually active. A 41-item survey was developed and focused on four areas: comfort or embarrassment with menses (EM), basic knowledge of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (KA); comfort in discussing contraception with partner (CC) and risk of contracting AIDS (AR). Chi-square analyses of the four factors determined that decreased EM was related to increased age ( p < 0.05), sexual activity ( p < 0.05), and CC ( p < 0.05). Older adolescents also demonstrated greater CC ( p < 0.05). Increased KA was related to contraceptive use ( p < 0.02) as well as CC ( p < 0.02). Descriptive analyses showed that 62% of the sample reported that a fear of AIDS had influenced their contraceptive behavior, but only 17% of the females reported purchasing or using a condom to prevent AIDS transmission. These findings suggest that although adolescent females have an awareness about AIDS, their behavior remains unchanged.

AIDS: students' knowledge and attitudes at a midwestern university.

Abstract Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the fastest growing public health concerns in the United States. To understand the educational needs and concerns of young people better, 495 college students were surveyed to examine their knowledge and attitudes concerning AIDS and the relationships between young people's acceptance of homosexual behaviors and their knowledge and fear of AIDS. Results suggest these college students possess moderate knowledge regarding AIDS prevalence, high-risk groups, modes of transmission, and symptoms. They demonstrate some concern (fear) about the transmission of AIDS and are highly nonaccepting of homosexual behavior. More males than females were found to possess negative attitudes toward homosexuality, and those who were highly accepting of homosexual behavior were least fearful of contracting AIDS. These findings indicate the need to focus the content of educational programs on misconceptions about AIDS and, at the same time, to address attitudes toward...