HIV-positive Diagnosis Research Articles

The reproductive careers of a cohort of men and women following an HIV-positive diagnosis.

This report examines the consequences of a positive HIV diagnosis upon the reproductive decision-making of 39 men and women in Scotland. Whilst the majority initially decide never to have any (more) children this sometimes changes as other factors gain ascendancy, such as a partner wanting 'their' child and about one-third had had a child or were intending to do so. The motivations underlying such decisions are discussed and ways in which health services could intervene to support people with HIV in making reproductive choices and to minimise the risk of transmission to an HIV-negative partner and the child are suggested.

A Family Therapy Model for Working with Persons with AIDS

An HIV positive diagnosis is not considered a predictable part of family development. When a family member becomes infected with the AIDS virus, the family must begin to cope with their emotions relating to the diagnosis, form a system to provide caregiving, and live through their grief. A model is presented to assist practitioners who work with PWA (persons with AIDS) and their families with these tasks. The Functional-Age Model is designed to evaluate changes in biopsychosocial functioning of people who are HIV positive and the concomitant effects on the structure and organization of the family. This model is presented with case examples to demonstrate application to families with HIV positive members.

Low and stable prevalence of HIV among drug injectors in Glasgow.

The first HIV-positive diagnosis among injecting drug users (IDU) in Glasgow was made in 1985. By the end of 1987 prevalence among IDU receiving voluntary attributable tests was 4.8%. Since 1990, an annual cross-sectional survey of HIV prevalence and risk behaviours among 500 current Glasgow IDU has provided a more representative sample. Anonymously-tested saliva samples obtained from respondents revealed prevalence rates of 1.8%, 1.2% and 1.0% in 1990, 1991 and 1992 respectively. Since 1987 a wide range of measures aimed at reducing HIV-related risk behaviour among IDU has been introduced and maintained in Glasgow. Against this background, there is evidence that IDU in the city have reduced their risk behaviours. The findings reported here suggest that implementing harm-reduction measures when prevalence is low may inhibit the rapid dissemination of HIV.

No (safer) sex please, we’re Irish: Sexual functioning and use of safer sexual practices in an Irish HIV positive cohort

This study examined the implications for sexual functioning of having a HIV positive diagnosis. Also examined was whether safer sex was being routinely practiced. Findings are reported from first contact interviews in a prospective study of 52 people with HIV who were ambulatory and living in the community. A majority were infected through injecting drug use. Results indicated a disruption in sexual functioning that was particularly evidenced by a decrease in sexual activities and decreased interest in and satisfaction derived from sex. This disruption was reported in particular by female respondents. Almost half of the overall study group reported never or not always practicing safer sex. Women were found to be the least likely to adopt safer sexual practices. These findings have implications for HIV prevention programmes directed at drug-using populations and, more specifically, those directed at drug-using women.

The Impact of HIV-Positive Diagnosis on the Individual, Part 1

The growing incidence of HIV infection and AIDS has generated panic, fear, anxiety, and negative attitudes among the general public. As an illness, HIV infection and AIDS have become the new sources of stigma. This article explores the stigma, rejection, and loneliness of 25 individuals with known HIV-infection/AIDS, who were interviewed using a set of open-ended questions. The results indicated that the HIV-positive diagnosis had a profound impact on the individual's psychosocial aspects of life, particularly interactions with others. Most of those infected by the virus were lonely, had to cope with stigmatization, and suffered disruption of family and peer relationships. They were confronted with prolonged uncertainty about their lives and experienced intense, constant fear of disclosure of their illness and of being rejected by society, yet they were not always able to discuss these fears and anxieties openly with friends or family.

If business directed the war on AIDS

The war on AIDS would be better fought with greater involvement by business, both in lobbying for rational approaches and even in lending individual managers to tax-supported and voluntary agencies. C onventional wisdom provides a fairly narrow definition of the responsibilities of an enlightened company in the age of AIDS. Such a company would not fire a worker diagnosed as testing positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS, but would p r o v i d e medical leave when necessary. Furthermore, an enlightened company would educate other employees, so they would not be afraid to work alongside an individual with an HIV-positive diagnosis. What else, after all, could be expected? In reality, little more may be expected, but businesses nevertheless have an opportunity to contribute significantly to the overall national, state, and local efforts against AIDS. Why should they do so? The justification lies in the realization by managers that business sophistication will vastly improve the way decisions are made. The discussion to be presented here will illustrate how public policy could be improved by a business perspective. Three areas of expertise found in the private sector seem particularly pertinent: marketing, economic analysis, and knowledge of the limits of economic analysis in an emotionally charged environment.

Dealing with the Stress of an HIV-Positive Diagnosis at an Army Medical Center

Following mandatory military-wide testing for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Army medical facilities have gained extensive experience with HIV-positive persons who undergo special stresses as a result of their affiliation with the military. The consequences of evacuation to medical centers for evaluation of HIV status are presented and the impact of this process on the medical center staff are considered. This paper is a description of one system designed to evaluate, treat, and support HIV-positive soldiers and their families.

Voluntary Testing for HIV Antibodies among Clients in Long-Term Substance-Abuse Treatment

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome tion, ARC, or AIDS, one out of every two in (AIDS) currently is among the foremost travenous drug abusers receiving treatment health concerns in the United States. Since already may have been exposed to HIV.7 the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, Drug treatment professionals confronted 56,212 cases of the disease have been re- with cases of asymptomatic HIV infection in ported to the Centers for Disease Control their client populations may need to con (CDC); consistently, one-fourth of those cases, sider, first and foremost, infection control or 13,881, have been diagnosed in individuals policies. Such policies protect HIV-negative who abuse drugs intravenously.1 Although clients and staff and, perhaps more critical sexually active homosexual and bisexual men ly, HIV-positive clients, who may be more continue to compose the largest group of in- susceptible to a variety of infections due to dividuals at risk for AIDS, totaling 66 percent their compromised immune status. of all reported cases, research suggests that In addition, there are numerous psycho intravenous drug abusers with human im- social issues involved in the treatment of in munodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may be travenous drug abusers with asymptomatic a critical link for the transmission of the HIV infection. The diagnosis of HIV infection virus to the general heterosexual popula- is, by its very nature, ambiguous, because tion.2 Fifty percent of 897 cases of pediatric knowledge is still limited regarding the AIDS have occurred in children who had at likelihood of progression from HIV infection least one parent who abused intravenous to ARC or AIDS. Estimates on the likelihood drugs; 73 percent of the 2,233 cases of AIDS of developing AIDS in HIV-infected individ in heterosexuals involved transmission of uals vary from 20 to 60 percent. One study HIV from an intravenous drug abuser to demonstrated that 36 percent of subjects with a spouse or lover.3 The impact of intravenous HIV infection developed AIDS over a period drug abusers on the spread of AIDS to other of 72 months.8 The HIV-positive diagnosis, heterosexuals may be greater in the future, therefore, may be particularly anxiety pro especially because many drug abusers work voking, and may undercut the commitment of as prostitutes to finance their addiction.4 intravenous drug abusers to remain in treat ment. Clearly, it is critical that HIV-positive clients remain in treatment, because a return Voluntary iesting to drug abuse is likely to lead to transmission The threat of HIV infection, AIDS-related of the virus to others, as well as to poor health complex (ARC), and AIDS in members of and further exposures to HIV for the seroposi this population pose special problems for tive individual—two factors that might ex residential substance-abuse treatment pro- acerbate the course of the illness.9 grams and other facilities that treat in- In response to a growing awareness of the