Stress, social support, and HIV-status disclosure to family and friends among HIV-positive men and women.

Patterns of HIV-status disclosure and social support were examined among 331 HIV-positive men and women. Structured interviews assessed HIV-status disclosure to family and friends, perceived stress of disclosure, social support, and depression. Results showed patterns of selective disclosure, where most participants disclosed to some relationship members and not to others.

Emotional adjustment in survivors of sexual assault living with HIV-AIDS.

This study examined history of sexual assault in 357 men and women living with HIV-AIDS. Participants completed measures of demographic characteristics, sexual assault history, emotional distress and psychiatric symptoms, substance use, and sexual behaviors. Results showed that 68% of women and 35% of men living with HIV-AIDS reported a history of sexual assault since age 15.

Sensation seeking and alcohol use as markers of sexual transmission risk behavior in HIV-positive men.

Alcohol use and sensation-seeking personality characteristics are commonly associated with sexual risk behavior in populations at risk for HIV infection. However, these associations are not well understood and have not yet been examined in people living with HIV-AIDS. We used path analyses to test a model of sensation seeking, alcohol use expectancies, and sexual risk behaviors among 197 HIV seropositive men.

Prospective study of emotional reactions to changes in HIV viral load.

Advances in antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection have given rise to new hope for the long-term survival of people living with HIV/AIDS. The current study examined changes in depression, anxiety, and HIV treatment attitudes that may co-occur with improvements and setbacks in HIV disease progression in a prospective cohort of 166 HIV-positive men and women. Results from a 9-month prospective observation period showed that persons who experienced increases in viral load, as indexed by medical chart abstraction, reported modest increases in depression and decreases in positive attitudes toward HIV treatments.

Internet access and Internet use for health information among people living with HIV-AIDS.

Widespread access to the Internet has the potential to improve the health care and quality of life of people with chronic illnesses, including people living with HIV-AIDS. However, the Internet is not equally accessible to all persons. We surveyed 96 men and 51 women living with HIV-AIDS regarding their experiences using the Internet.