Imaginary Protections Against AIDS

SUMMARY In this article, we analyze the psychosocial mechanisms for managing the risk of HIV infection; we call these imaginary and symbolic protections. Their definition is simple and based on the observation that being aware of prevention guidelines does not necessarily lead people to adopt long-term and systematic behavioral changes. Instead, people use psychosocial processes that will give them the impression that they are taking no risks. We show how these processes are intrinsically related to the symbolic management and manipulation of the relationships to others, thus demonstrating that certain forms of risk-taking are non-rational.