Stress coping in people with HIV positive Essay

Stress coping in people with HIV positive - Essay Example After discussing the possible treatment and prevention approaches used in people with HIV, strategic ways on how health care professionals can enable them to cope with the psychological distress associated with the disease will be thoroughly discussed. By going through a personal reflection, the health situation will be applied in Hong Kong particularly on how the HK government is promoting safer sex practice. The fact that HIV infection is a life-threatening disease is already considered as a major source of stress among the HIV infected individuals. (Riggs, Vosvick, & Stalling, 2007) Individuals who were informed by their physicians that ‘they only have few months to live’ could negatively affect the physical functioning, psychological, social, and emotional well-being of the person. As a result, some of the HIV infected people loses their hope to be treated and cured from the disease. HIV infected individuals would tend to withdraw from their social life aside from putting an end to their relationship with their love ones (Wadland & Gleeson, 1991). In most cases, there is a strong possibility for HIV infected individuals to unconsciously use other maladaptive coping strategies including denial, disengagement, and/or abusing the use of illegal substances (Gore-Felton et al., 2006; Komiti et al., 2003). Aside from the having the thought that the life span of HIV infected individuals is already limited, it is likely that these individuals would seek medical assistance from professional medical team. Basically, the cost of treating and promoting a better quality life for HIV infected individuals can be very costly not only on the part of the HIV infected individual himself but also to his family members. In line with the high cost of medical intervention, we can consider the financial burden of becoming infected with HIV as