ABSTRACT
HIV typically is an anxiety-producing disease-partly because of its associations with illness and death, stigma, and uncertainty. The related sources of stress that people living with HIV may face include “health problems,” “interpersonal confl icts,” “stigma and disclosure fears,” and “problems with the health care system” (Siegel & Schrimshaw, 2005, p. 229); caregiving for family members and/or partners, some who are also living with HIV (Hackl, Somlai, Kelly, & Kalichman, 1997); and the chronic medical, personal, and social uncertainty that an HIV diagnosis might bring (Brashers et al., 2003; also see Rintamaki, this volume). These stressors can impact both the mental and physical well-being of those living with the disease.
