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Related Experiment Videos

Technology and effect: HIV/AIDS testing in Brazil.

J Biehl1, D Coutinho, A L Outeiro

  • 1Department of Anthropology, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544-1011, USA.

Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry
|March 29, 2001
PubMed
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High demand for HIV testing among low-risk individuals in Brazil reveals "imaginary AIDS," a techno-cultural phenomenon driven by anxiety and bio-technical influences. This highlights new forms of bio-politics and technoneurosis.

Area of Science:

  • Sociology of Science and Technology
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Technoscientific advancements are reshaping social interactions and individual subjectivity.
  • Understanding the experiential and ethical impacts of these transformations is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the phenomenon of "imaginary AIDS" in an HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling Center (CTA) in Brazil.
  • To explore the integration of clinical expertise and HIV testing technology in bio-politics.
  • To examine the affective absorption of bio-technical truths and the rise of technoneurosis.

Main Methods:

  • Ethnographic research combining participant observation, epidemiological analyses, and clinical surveys.
  • Analysis of routine practices within a CTA in northeastern Brazil.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Qualitative analysis of subjective data from a pilot study of clients.

    • Main Results:

    • A high demand for free HIV testing was observed among low-risk, middle-class clients experiencing anxiety and AIDS-like symptoms.
    • Most clients tested sero-negative, with many seeking repeat testing.
    • This pattern suggests a new techno-cultural phenomenon termed "imaginary AIDS".

    Conclusions:

    • HIV testing technologies and clinical expertise are integrated into bio-political strategies targeting specific populations.
    • The study identifies the affective absorption of bio-technical truths and the engendering of technoneurosis.
    • Findings offer insights into the complex interplay between technology, health anxiety, and social subjectivity.