Research suggests that there exists in some homosexual men a moral push towards the disclosure of their HIV serostatus; yet, does an antithetical, individualistic, and self-oriented movement that searches for restitution for HIV infection exist in others? The following study tested the influence of vengeance, hostility, anger, and other negative traits over serostatus disclosure, nondisclosure, and HIV transmission to others. Using a survey posted on the Internet, 102 HIV-negative gay men and 106 HIV-positive gay men were asked to indicate their basic levels of the abovementioned outward-focused negative emotions as well as their sexual and health behaviors. From this information, I compared the two groups with respect to the prevalence of these psychological traits, the behaviors they provoked, and their influence over theoretical and actual disclosure and nondisclosure. Results initially suggested that though both groups of men did not differ with respect to the prevalence of negative traits, HIV-positive men were less communicative about their disease and more willing to justify its nondisclosure. Also, the ability for HIV-positive men to understand and verify their HIV transmission event helped diminish vengeance and hostility over time. And vengeance negatively influenced disclosure and positively influenced nondisclosure among seropositive men. Finally, vengeance was positively related to HIV transmission to others, where more vengeful seropositive men were exponentially more likely to have spread HIV to other gay men

Last modified

• 07/26/2018

Creator

• David Andrew Moskowitz

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/N2C422

Subject

• Communication Studies

Keyword

• Negative Psychological Traits
• HIV
• HIV Disclosure

Date created

• 2007-04-16

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright