Evaluating interventions for fear of contagion

Fear of contagion, an anxious response to the perceived threat of catching HIV, has been shown to lessen with contact with persons with AIDS. Two different continuing educational offerings presented a panel of persons living with HIV as an intervention to decrease fear of contagion. Presession and postsession questionnaires demonstrated a significant decrease in levels of fear in the one-day program (n = 39), but not in the six-week course (n = 14). Willingness to care for those with HIV was unchanged in either offering. The study provides evidence for the effectiveness of exposure to persons living with HIV to decrease fear of contagion, even in a sample that had low fear scores initially.