AEGiS-06IAC: Hemophilia and HIV: an assessment of the psychosocial needs of couples.

6th International AIDS Conference


San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

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Hemophilia and HIV: an assessment of the psychosocial needs of couples.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:331 (abstract no. Th.D.821)
Roy CM; Regional Hemophilia Clinic, Social Service Dept., Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Canada

OBJECTIVE: To determine the needs and disposition towards psychosocial services of men with hemophilia and HIV and their partners.

METHOD: Twenty couples, in which the man has hemophilia and HIV infection, were surveyed through the use of an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The range of available psychosocial services was described. One question distinguished the hemophiliacs from their partners in order to draw comparisons between the two groups.

RESULTS: Women expressed a greater need and interest than men in all forms of psychosocial support services. Couple counseling was preferred over individual or family counseling. Groups for couples were more than three times as popular than separate groups for men and women. One question listed 14 potential topics for group discussion. "Safer Sex" was selected as a topic of interest by 13 of 20 women (65%) compared to only 3 of 20 HIV infected men (15%).

CONCLUSION: This preliminary study indicates that HIV positive hemophiliac men and their partners share certain concerns but also differ in their expressed need for psychosocial services. Despite the men's stated disinterest, it is important to provide safer-sex education to these couples. At the very least the service should be offered to the women. Since HIV has become such an important focus in the care of men with hemophilia, clinics must shift their focus to include their partners in the comprehensive treatment plan.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV, Hemophilia A, Health Services Needs and Demand, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Counseling, Sex Chromosome Aberrations, Safe Sex, HIV Seronegativity, HIV Antibodies, Questionnaires, Communication, Human, Male, Female, genetics, immunology, ICA6

900620
ThD821

Copyright © 1990 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.