Full of enlightening and useful information, this book is a must resource for all professionals who wish to learn more about both the impact of HIV on people's lives and the coping strategies of infected individuals. Sexual Transmission of HIV Infection focuses on the existential and adaptational aspects of this potentially deadly virus so that concerned professionals may know how to better address the pandemic into the next century. Diverse in content, methodology, and theoretical perspective, the chapters work together to illuminate the complexities and dynamics of sexual risk reduction of HIV and serve as an aid in helping to promote attitudinal and behavioral changes in sexual practices and intravenous drug use. Clinicians will be able to provide help and support more effectively as they learn to adapt their therapeutic efforts to patient's suffering following these informative studies and discussions of the psychological processes operating within HIV-seropositive individuals.Sexual Transmission of HIV Infection discusses a range of topics relevant for today's society including:
- shifts in meaning, purpose, and values in the lives of HIV-infected gay men
- strategies for coping with the trauma of HIV
- a general framework for relevant issues concerning women and HIV
- sexual contact patterns of HIV-positive homosexual men
- the difficulties women face in ensuring protection against heterosexual HIV transmission
- the underlying dynamics of unprotected intercourse among HIV-positive males
- sexual behaviors in female and male heterosexual and homosexual IV drug users
- variations in long-term survival strategies among HIV-positive homosexual males
Including studies from Sweden, Germany, Australia, and The Netherlands, as well as the United States, this book begins to fill the void on determining factors, circumstances, and conditions which obstruct or encourage sexual behavior risk reduction in all groups of people. It is sure to be a source of inspiration for professionals, beginners or experts, who conduct HIV-related research or clinical work and those who work with HIV prevention and counseling.
