Positive Health Psychology and AIDS

Health psychologists play an important role in managing the epidemic of AIDS in the sense that they can act as educators and develop behavioral modification programs for individuals that will discourage the risky behaviors that are associated with the transmission of the disease which are mainly unprotected sex and intravenous drug use via the sharing of needles (Brannon & Feist, 2004). An additional role that health psychologist play in the AIDS epidemic is assisting those who are already infected so that they may have positive experiences in their life which will improve the quality of their life, fend off severe depression, and encourage them to adopt positive health-related behaviors such as maintaining their recovery drug regime and halting their risky behaviors (Brannon & Feist, 2004).

Health psychologists can conduct community focus groups to help those who are at risk for contraction of HIV understand that they must put their knowledge of risky behavior into action, such as encouraging and educating individuals about making sure they actually use condoms (Forrest, 1993). Even though many people are aware that condoms and safe sex are preventative factors they do not execute their knowledge upon their behavior and therefore are at risk. There is often a great deal of risk-denial in communities that are at risk, such as women who participate in heterosexual relationships without condoms with men who may not be in monogamous relationships (Brannon & Feist, 2004; Sobo, 1993).

Further, health psychologists can work with schools and communities to discuss the risks for high school children for developing the disease by explaining that health behavior model and enforcing the need to protect themselves sexually with the understanding that the results of AIDS are so severe that they outweigh the inconvenience of having safe sex practices (Walter, 1992). By understanding and identifying behaviors that contribute to the transmission of HIV/AIDS with high school and college students effective behavioral patterns can be identified and changed to reduce the risk of transmitting the fatal disease (Goldman, 1993).

Brannon, L. & Feist, J. (2004). Health psychology: An introduction to behavior and health (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson.

Forrest, K. A. (1993). Exploring norms and beliefs related to aids prevention among california hispanic men. Family Planning Perspectives, 25(3), 111-117

Goldman, J. A. (1993). Self-perception variables that mediate aids-preventive behavior in college. Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, 12(6), 489-98

Sobo, E. J. (1993). Inner-city women and aids: The psycho-social benefits of unsafe sex. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 17(4), 455-485

Walter, H. J.( 1992). Factors associated with aids risk behaviors among high school students in an aids epicenter. American Journal of Public Health, 82(4), 528-32