s how one approaches life. Relationships explicitly and implicitly transformed, many people withdraw and social support declines. Along with all of the direct effects of the disease on the person’s well-being, the person must deal with the stigmatization we have described” (Derlega 21). Additionally, fearing the inevitable rejection and stigmatization, the AIDS victim may withdraw from social activities and contribute to their own social isolation. The misguided focus of AIDS prevention on women “has made women primarily responsible for safer-sex practices, without attention to important gender power differentials. Controlling HIV disease will require acknowledging the fundamental differences in power relations between men and women. In particular, the growing number of AIDS cases among adolescents highlights the need to recognize and change gender power relations that promote the continued spread of the epidemic. This process requires that homophobia and sexism are confronted early in the socialization of heterosexual males” (Campbell 134). One problem in understanding the behavior of heterosexual men is the lack of research on heterosexual adults generally. In addition researchers have not studied the social context in which men interact with one another, and with women, as it relates to AIDS prevention (Campbell). One out of twenty-two sessions at the Eighth International Conference of AIDS in 1992 dealt with the need to change the attitudes and behaviors of heterosexual as well as bisexual men, however, no conclusions were reached and no information was disseminated regarding this very important attitudinal adjustment (National Institute of Mental Health). In conclusion, there is no end to the misinformation in the American communities (and world wide) regarding the HIV and AIDS victims’ needs. The issues surrounding the education of care givers and support groups are overwhelming in the light...
