ABSTRACT
Whilst there is a plethora of studies on the sexual behaviour of ‘high-risk’ groups, notably men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, sex workers and young people, there are few studies on the sexual behaviour of people with HIV, and a dearth of studies on the emotional impact of HIV on their sexual relationships. Most general texts about ‘living with HIV’ talk about implications for sexual relationships, and many focus upon the trauma of disclosing one’s status to long-term sexual partners (Henderson, 1992; Siegel and Krauss, 1991; Tavanyar, 1992). However, the evidence of emotional disruption is largely restricted to the personal testimonies of people with HIV who talk of the guilt and fears at having sexual relationships, the moral hostility from society, and the loss of sexual confidence that accompanies an HIV seropositive diagnosis (O’Sullivan and Thomson, 1992; Richardson and Bolle, 1992).
