To access this work you must either be on the Smith College campus OR have valid Smith login credentials.

On Campus users: To access this work if you are on campus please Select the Download button.

Off Campus users: To access this work from off campus, please select the Off-Campus button and enter your Smith username and password when prompted.

Non-Smith users: You may request this item through Interlibrary Loan at your own library.

Publication Date

1986

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School for Social Work

Abstract

This investigation was an examination of the psychological impact of Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 3 (HTLV-III) antibody testing. Psychological impact was evaluated by the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Health Locus of Control scale (HLC). Two groups of subjects were included in this study. Group one (n = 82) was composed of individuals requesting and receiving HTLV-III antibody testing at a sexually transmitted diseases clinic. Group two (n = 29) was composed of gay or bisexual men who had decided to not take the HTLV-III antibody test. Several questions were proposed: 1) will subjects who requested antibody testing be more internal in health locus of control as suggested by the literature on information seeking, or will subjects who did not take the test report more intemality; 2)* will state trait anxiety and health locus of control change in group one depending on antibody results; 3) will groups one and two differ on the STAI and HLC scale; 4) will a relationship exist between externality and trait anxiety? Subjects who did not receive the test reported a more internal health locus of control than subjects who did; subjects who received the test reported a greater external health locus of control than those who were not tested. Subjects receiving negative antibody results reported a reduction in state anxiety, while subjects receiving positive antibody results reported no change in state anxiety. Subjects who did not receive the test reported less state trait anxiety and a greater likelihood to be familiar with and practice safe sex than subjects who received the test. For all subjects, externality was correlated with high trait anxiety. Implications of findings were discussed in relation to Social Learning theory. Recommendations for counseling individuals requesting HTLV-III antibody testing were made.

Rights

©1986 . Nicolangelo Salvatore Scibelli. Access limited to the Smith College community and other researchers while on campus. Smith College community members also may access from off-campus using a Smith College log-in. Other off-campus researchers may request a copy through Interlibrary Loan for personal use.

Language

English

Comments

Bibliography: leaves 75-84.

Download

Smith Only:
Off Campus Download

Share

COinS