The Paradox of Accurate Information Increasing the Fear of AIDS

The fear of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is easier to transmit than the disease itself. Evelyn Fisher in 1986 may have been the first to use the term “FRAIDS” to refer to the second epidemic—the fear of AIDS. FRAIDS indeed can reach phobic proportions and produce serious negative consequences for individuals whose reactions can become irrational and debilitating.