Counselors, be More Optimistic!
July 16, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study recently discovered that the lack of optimism from physicians may be responsible for stifling HIV prevention.
According to researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, HIV patients receiving care at publicly-funded clinics have sited a number of physicians as having a pessimistic, or "fatalistic" view, on getting people to change their sexual behavior.
Wayne T. Steward, Ph.D., lead author of the study, says, "This research suggests that attitudinal barriers among providers will need to be addressed in order for the new 'Prevention With Positives' initiative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to achieve fully its goal of reducing sexual risk behaviors by HIV-positive patients."
Researchers surveyed nearly 620 HIV-positive patients as they left the clinics, as well as clinic staff.
One physician was quoted as saying, "I think it's like almost hopeless to try and change people's sexual behavior. I shouldn't say that, but, you know, that's basically what my feeling is."
Coincidentally, patients receiving care at clinics with high reports of "fatalism" incidents were less likely to report receiving prevention counseling in the last six months.
Thirty-eight million people around the globe are infected with AIDS. Nearly 900,000 of those cases are in the United States.
SOURCE: 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, July 15, 2004
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