ABSTRACT

The AIDS epidemic is not over. Over the past several years there has been a steady decline in the number of reported AIDS cases, yet the rates of newly diagnosed HIV infections remain steady. As of June 2001, more than 793,000 cases of AIDS and 145,000 cases of HIV infection in the United States have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 2002). In 1996, the CDC estimated that as many as one in every 250 Americans may be infected with HIV These figures represent a significant rise in infection rates in very diverse populations in the United States. As the rate of HIV infection continues to escalate, so do the chances that you will be treating an individual infected with, or a family affected by, HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this chapter is to address the special issues and considerations therapists might face with the increasing HIV/AIDS epidemic. More specifically we will (a) introduce you to the basic terms and concepts related to HIV/AIDS, (b) increase your awareness of who is infected with HIV and how infection occurs, and (c) address issues marriage and family therapists should consider before working with HIV-infected individuals and their families. Table 23.1 summarizes these issues and considerations.