What Is HIV Phobia? [Encyclopedia Guide]

Everyone wants to avoid direct contact with HIV-positive people. But remember that there is a thin line between taking caution and having an irrational fear of HIV. It can affect the quality of your life and give you additional stress. 

HIV phobia is a painful anxiety type for both persons with a positive diagnosis and yourself. HIV is an STD transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, so it’s better to take caution but avoid irrational stress.

What is HIV phobia?

HIV phobia is a stage of intense fear of getting HIV or herpes simplex infection. The real anxiety in HIV phobia is to come in contact with the virus even if there is the least risk of contracting the virus. The HIV phobia is extreme and irrational and interferes with the ability of physical relations. 

So, it is real and directly impacts the health and daily routine of the affected person. 

Symptoms of HIV phobia

it is a particular type of anxiety that leads to symptoms similar to panic attacks. Moreover, it also relates to different physical symptoms due to stress. 

Specific symptoms of it include:

• Nausea
• indigestion 
• Dizziness
• Sweating 
• Low breathing rate
• Rapid heartbeat rate
• Trouble sleep

The person with it avoids going into spaces or places where some people gather. It includes the fear of participating in certain activities due to the high risk of direct contact with HIV-positive persons. 

Moreover, it also leads to the excessive consumption of news and misleading information from the internet about HIV. 

Difference between HIV phobia and Hypochondria

Hypochondria is a general health anxiety disorder in which a person fears losing health due to any condition. Usually, persons with hypochondria have preoccupied anxiety that lead to health issues. 

However, it is not a preoccupied anxiety and doesn’t make many people sick. It is the fear of getting a specific virus, whereas hypochondria is the fear of getting a general illness. it is about getting the herpes simplex virus through direct contact with any herpes-positive person. 

In Case You Miss >>> HIV Dating Site for a New Start

Causes of HIV phobia

Certain factors cause it. Every phobia is different, and most of them are not rational. So we can not point to any specific cause behind the phobia.

it is usually in persons who lived in the 80s when HIV was a deadly disease and then witnessed the death sentence for HIV phobia. 

Moreover, some persons also have HIV phobia due to the shame of a s*xually active life. 

HIV phobia treatment

Phobias usually don’t require any treatment plan. The only way to deal with a phobia is to build your ability to overcome it. 

However, it usually requires specific treatment through therapies. Exposure therapy will help to deal with HIV phobia. The therapy includes spending time with people, engaging in physical contact, and spending time where the chances of high risk are available.

Moreover, CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy is also helpful in dealing with it. Positive Singles can help you find all the information you need. MyPositiveSingles or Positivesingless.com will provide you all the information you need.