First Published in 1997. From the start of the HIV epidemic, the psychological and social aspects of the AIDS infection have been recognized. This volume contains a selection of key contributions to the discussion on the psychological and social implications of such infection.

This volume contains a selection of key contributions to the discussion on the psychological and social implications on HIV infection. It contains up-to-date and authoritative papers by senior practitioners and researchers in the field of the psychological and social aspects of HIV infection. The book will appeal to those involved in providing care for people with HIV infections, be they physicians and nurses or psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists, as well as those involved in preventing the spread of the HIV infection. From the start of the HIV epidemic, the psychological and social aspects of the AIDS infection have been recognized. What could have been regarded simply as an infectious disease was soon acknowledged as a global problem that raised important issues about its transmission and prevention; economic, ethical and legal questions regarding the mental health consequences and the need for access to medical and social care.

First Published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor and Francis, an informa company.

Europe's "Black Death" contributed to the rise of nation states, mercantile economies, and even the Reformation. Will the AIDS epidemic have similar dramatic effects on the social and political landscape of the twenty-first century? This readable volume looks at the impact of AIDS since its emergence and suggests its effects in the next decade, when a million or more Americans will likely die of the disease. The Social Impact of AIDS in the United States addresses some of the most sensitive and controversial issues in the public debate over AIDS. This landmark book explores how AIDS has affected fundamental policies and practices in our major institutions, examining: How America's major religious organizations have dealt with sometimes conflicting values: the imperative of care for the sick versus traditional views of homosexuality and drug use. Hotly debated public health measures, such as HIV antibody testing and screening, tracing of sexual contacts, and quarantine. The potential risk of HIV infection to and from health care workers. How AIDS activists have brought about major change in the way new drugs are brought to the marketplace. The impact of AIDS on community-based organizations, from volunteers caring for individuals to the highly political ACT-UP organization. Coping with HIV infection in prisons. Two case studies shed light on HIV and the family relationship. One reports on some efforts to gain legal recognition for nonmarital relationships, and the other examines foster care programs for newborns with the HIV virus. A case study of New York City details how selected institutions interact to give what may be a picture of AIDS in the future. This clear and comprehensive presentation will be of interest to anyone concerned about AIDS and its impact on the country: health professionals, sociologists, psychologists, advocates for at-risk populations, and interested individuals.

HIV is spreading rapidly, and effective treatments continue to elude science. Preventive interventions are now our best defense against the epidemicâ€"but they require a clear understanding of the behavioral and mental health aspects of HIV infection and AIDS. AIDS and Behavior provides an update of what investigators in the biobehavioral, psychological, and social sciences have discovered recently about those aspects of the disease and offers specific recommendations for research directions and priorities. This volume candidly discusses the sexual and drug-use behaviors that promote transmission of HIV and reports on the latest efforts to monitor the epidemic in its social contexts. The committee reviews new findings on how and why risky behaviors occur and efforts to develop strategies for changing such behaviors. The volume presents findings on the disease's progression and on the psychosocial impacts of HIV and AIDS, with a view toward intervention and improved caregiving. AIDS and Behavior also evaluates the status of behavioral and prevention aspects of AIDS research at the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The volume presents background on the three institutes; their recent reorganization; their research budgets, programs, and priorities; and other important details. The committee offers specific recommendations for the institutes concerning the balance between biomedical and behavioral investigations, adequacy of administrative structures, and other research management issues. Anyone interested in the continuing quest for new knowledge on preventing HIV and AIDS will want to own this book: policymakers, researchers, research administrators, public health professionals, psychologists, AIDS advocates and service providers, faculty, and students.

AIDS is not simply a concern for scientists, doctors and medical researchers, it has important social dimensions too. These include cultural, individual and media responses to HIV/AIDS, stigmatization and discrimination, perceptions of risk, and issues to do with counselling, care and health promotion. This series of books brings together work from many disciplines including psychology, sociology, cultural and media studies, anthropology, education and history. It also contains anthologies of papers given at recent conferences concerned with the social aspects of AIDS/HIV. Many of the titles offer insight into contemporary research priorities and identify some of the opportunities open to those involved in care and health promotion. The series will be of interest to those involved in education and social research as well as scientific and medical researchers who want to examine the social aspects of AIDS.

This book has assembled an array of chapters on the social and psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS and their impact on HIV/AIDS and related behaviours. The book addresses key areas of HIV and AIDS, including, but not in any way limited to, care-seeking behaviour, adherence, access, psychosocial needs and support services, discrimination and the impact the epidemic has on various sectors of the economy. The book has seventeen chapters; seven chapters deal with social aspects of HIV/AIDS, four with psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS, and the remaining six chapters with the impact of social and psychosocial factors on HIV/AIDS and related behaviours. The book is an essential reading for academics, students and other people interested in the field of HIV and AIDS.