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Men and women living with HIV/AIDS who experience difficulty maintaining safer sex practices place their sex partners as well as themselves at considerable risk for sexually transmitted infections. Psychological correlates of continued sexual risk behaviours provide important information for intervention development. Continued sexual risk behaviour was investigated in a sample of 203 HIV-positive men and 129 HIV-positive women recruited from infectious disease clinics and AIDS service agencies. The study showed that 42% of men and 42% of women reported at least one occasion of unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse in the preceding six months. Unprotected intercourse frequently occurred outside of long-term relationships and with partners who were not known to be HIV-infected. Similar to populations at primary risk, HIV-infected men and women reported alcohol and drug use, including use before sexual episodes. However, the association between substance use and unprotected sex was modest for men and absent for women. Contrary to previous research, emotional distress and maladaptive coping were not related to continued sexual risk. Interventions are urgently needed to support men and women living with HIV/AIDS in maintaining long-term safer sex practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents two studies that investigated the effects on reporting of child abuse by licensed psychologists from two states of different indicators of abuse and different state mandatory reporting requirements. Study 1; State reporting laws; Participants; Materials; Results; Changes in reporting; Manipulated factors and certainty; Reporting laws and tendency to report; Discussion; Study 2.

Discusses the results of a study on the psychological characteristics of HIV-seropositive men who engage in high-risk sexual behavior in the United States. Finding that men with multiple unprotected partners reported greater sexual compulsivity than men with one or no unprotected partners; Sensation-seeking behavior.

Examines the utilization of support groups for meeting support needs among people living with HIV-positive persons. Collection of standardized self-report measures; Description of the characteristics of HIV-positive persons who have and have not attended support groups; Examination of the group experiences of people who have attended HIV support groups.

Despite the widespread losses from AIDS, there have been no published evaluations of mental health interventions for people experiencing AIDS-related bereavement. We describe a cognitive behavioural coping model for support group interventions with people who experience an AIDS-related loss. The support group model consists of six primary components to address grief-related responses and the unique features of AIDS bereavement: social support and group cohesion+ADs- identification and expression of emotion+ADs- identification of AIDS loss specific coping challenges+ADs- recognition of current coping+ADs- goal setting+ADs- and, implementation of adaptive coping to reduce psychological distress. The model integrates theories of cognitive behavioural coping within a social support group context. Results of a pilot study with four men and four women showed that the intervention model cast into eight group sessions significantly reduced depression, intrusive experiences, grief reactions, demoralization, and overall psychological distress immediately following the intervention and at a 3-month follow-up assessment. The intervention appeared to facilitate the adjustment of these bereaved persons and warrants further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study in which the same clustering procedure used by Duthie and McIvor in 1990 was employed to analyze the MMPIs (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) of 113 child molesters similar to Duthie and McIvor's sample in demography and circumstances of evaluation. Cluster analysis and cross-validation; MMPI discriminant analysis; Psychosexual and demographic characteristics; Details.

Reports global developments related to the modes of transmission of AIDS as of August 1999. Investigation of high-risk sexual behavior among men and women living with AIDS; Association of amphetamine use and the increased transmission acts in the U.S.; Comparison of sexual behavior of virgins with non-virgins.