PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF WOMEN AT RISK FOR HIV INFECTION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of psychological characteristics of women at HIV infection
risk. The study involved 62 non-pregnant women aged 18 to 38 years old, who had sex within last 6
months. With appropriate techniques a comparative analysis of the following indicators in two groups
was performed: sexual behavior peculiarities, HIV knowledge, self-assessment of HIV infection risk,
the level and nature of alcohol consumption, the level of depression and anxiety, the level of subjective
health importance, level of subjective control in various areas, the level of personality traits expression,
subjective perception of psychological time. Data analysis showed a large number of interesting
results, including: young women at HIV infection risk are characterized by risky behavior in the
sphere of health, in particular, they had more than one partner in the last 12 months and these women
are characterized by a relatively high level of alcohol consumption. In addition, women of this group
are more likely to have a number of psychological features: almost half of women at risk do not feel at
infection risk, they are characterized by low levels of kindness and personal resources, thus are relatively
more emotionally stable. In addition, women at HIV infection risk show a reduced level of psychological
past and future time perception.