A study undertaken by Ohio State University that chose to study the mind-set of gay men who are HIV-positive has shown that these men have no compunctions opening up to others about their HIV status.
Head researcher and lead author of the study Julianne Serovich says, “I was very surprised at how little regret we found, because you see the angst in HIV-positive men who deliberate very carefully on whether or not to tell people. The results offer hope for people who are working in this field. We can tell HIV-positive men that others in their position rarely regret the fact that other people know their status.”Earlier studies had revealed that those HIV positive men who do not hide their status are also confident of seeking medical assistance and are therefore open to novel therapies, and help form support groups. This is also known to help them enjoy the support of their families which inclines their disassociation with risky behavior, often the bane of HIV+ people. It is also observed that such men who receive backing from their families do not suffer depression.
The findings are published in the April issue of the journal Aids Education and Prevention.
