AIDS phobia

(redirected from AIDS anxiety)

AIDS phobia

A generic term that encompasses unfounded fears of having contracted AIDS and incorrect beliefs as to how HIV is transmitted, which, in certain susceptible individuals, result in bizarre behaviours meant to avoid contracting AIDS, including cleaning rituals and avoidance of either people with AIDS or those whose work brings them in contact with HIV-positive people.

AIDS phobia

A morbid fear, unsupported by any clear evidence, that one is suffering from AIDS. All the features of HYPOCHONDRIASIS are present but with intense concentration on AIDS. Various normal body functions and minor symptoms and signs are interpreted as proof of the presence of the disease.
References in periodicals archive ?
Perceived fear of AIDS was measured using the 50-item Multidimensional AIDS Anxiety Questionnaire (MAAQ; Finney & Snell, 1989; Snell & Finney, 1996), which is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 = not characteristic of me to 4 = very characteristic of me.
To examine whether or not AIDS anxiety and burnout were significantly correlated with aggressive tendency, we computed Pearson's r correlation among the variables.
The correlation between AIDS anxiety and aggressive tendency was significant, meaning that an increase in perception of fear of AIDS was associated with an increase in aggressive tendency.
In relative terms, AIDS anxiety made the largest contribution to the explanation of aggressive tendency, followed by burnout, suggesting that an increased level of AIDS anxiety is associated with an increase in aggressive tendency.
Burnout and fear of contagion as factors in aggressive tendency of health-care workers treating people with AIDS
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