A psychosocial study of high risk subjects for AIDS

A psychosocial study of 5 high risk groups for AIDS (50 homosexuals, 50 drug addicts, 23 male to female transsexuals, 45 male patients at a sexually transmitted disease clinic, and 43 female prostitutes) and 5 matched control groups showed that the majority of the subjects were mostly single, with a secondary level of education and lived with family members. Although all had a high risk of AIDS, condom use was not prevalent. The subjects were less knowledgeable about AIDS than controls, were more anxious about getting AIDS and had a more hopeless and pessimistic outlook to life; however they appeared to be as altruistic and responsible as the controls.