Introduction to Psychology
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Transcript Introduction to Psychology
HIV and AIDS
HIV
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
The retrovirus that infects and attacks the
immune system, eventually causing AIDS
HIV injects its genome into lymphocytes
so that it reproduces when the cells are
activated
AIDS (Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome)
A life-threatening disease caused by the
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in which
the body’s CD4 lymphocytes are destroyed,
leaving the victim vulnerable to opportunistic
infections
The Course of HIV/AIDS
US Statistics
Approx. ½ million people are living with AIDS in America
Around 77% of adults and adolescents living with AIDS are men
http://www.avert.org/statindx.htm
Global Statistics
(published in July 2008)
People living with HIV/AIDS in 2007
Women living with HIV/AIDS in 2007
People newly infected with HIV in 2007
AIDS deaths in 2007
33.0 million
15.5 million
2.7 million
2.0 million
25 million have died since the first cases of AIDS were
identified in 1981
Women and AIDS
Women account for nearly half of all people
worldwide living with HIV/AIDS
Globally, girls and women are more likely than men
to contract HIV
Women are often less able to protect themselves
because they are economically and culturally subordinate
to men
More of the virus is found in ejaculate
Women progress to AIDS at a lower viral load
than men
59% of AIDS victims in sub-Saharan Africa are women.
Africa has 11.6 million AIDS orphans.
Their Brothers’ Keepers, 2005 documentary
Behavioral issues in HIV
infection -- The ABCs
A bstinence or delaying first sex
B eing safer by being faithful to one partner
or by reducing the number of sexual partners
C orrect and consistent use of condoms for
sexually active young people, couples in
which one partner is HIV-positive, sex
workers and their clients, and anyone
engaging in sexual activity with partners who
may have been at risk of HIV exposure.3
Intervention Strategies
for preventing HIV/AIDS
Psychosocial Interventions
Increasing safer sex practices (e.g., attempt to
counteract emotionally intense, rushed nature of
many sexual encounters that are not conducive to
clear thinking and negotiating about safer sex)
Decreasing drug and alcohol use
Enhancing knowledge (complacency about STIs)
Increasing risk perception
Increasing self-efficacy (e.g., dealing with coercion)
Determining which groups to target?
Community interventions? What to do…?
Psychosocial Barriers
to HIV/AIDS Prevention
Despite massive educational efforts, rates of
condom use and other safer sex behaviors are
low.
Media depictions of sexual encounters do little
to promote interventions aimed at promoting
safe sex.
Misconceptions of HIV/AIDS are common.
Optimistic bias and perceived invincibility are
common.
Highly active HIV prevention
Holmes, U of W
Psychosocial Factors in
disease progression
Stress, depression, etc.
Adherence to medical regimen
Coping with HIV/AIDS
Psychosocial Factors in
AIDS
Studies have shown a clear relationship among
psychosocial factors, disease progression, and HIV
mortality
(Ironson et al. chapter)
Cognitions
Coping
Life Stress
Depression and Distress
Social Support (mixed results)
Adherence to Medical
Regimen
Three objectives:
Support the immune system
Prevent, control, or eliminate opportunistic
infections
Clear the body of HIV
Medical Interventions
The HAART Regimen (highly active
antiretroviral therapy)
Multiple anti-HIV drugs (e.g., AZT, protease
inhibitors) are often used in an “AIDS drug cocktail”
HAART regimen is expensive ($10,000 to $15,000
per year) and difficult to follow (25 pills per day)
Must take consistently, or HIV will adapt and become
resistant to drugs
80-90% of individuals who adhere have undetectable
plasma HIV viral loads in 6 to 12 months
Strategies to Combat
HIV Reproduction
Coping With HIV and AIDS
Psychosocial impact
Stigma
Impact on family
Acknowledging the possibility of dying young
(and friends dying young)
Depressive, suicidal thoughts common,
especially among those who feel a withdrawal
of family and social support
Coping with HIV/AIDS
Problem-solving skills
Relaxation training
Skills for obtaining health care, SS disability, etc.
Strategies for decreasing unprotected sex (besides
infecting others, this can increase the risk of secondary
infections that can activate the AIDS virus)
Skills for reducing alcohol consumption (reduces
immune function in PWAs)
Increase sense of control
Group support
Antoni et al. (2000)
HIV-positive men received a 10-week CBSM intervention (relaxation
training, cognitive restructuring, techniques to manage anger, etc.)
How Might CBSM Work?
CBSM may lower norepinephrine levels
(which tend to be elevated in HIV-infected
people and inhibit the proliferation of
lymphocytes)
CBMS may contribute to increased sense
of mastery over the disease and lead to
better diet, more exercise, and other selfcare behaviors