AIDS in General Background In July 1981 an article in The New York Times reported the outbreak of a rare cancer among about forty gay men in New York and California (San Francisco AIDS Foundation: About AIDS - Main Page). Very few people realised the implications that this so-called cancer would have. Since then it has been discovered that it was not a cancer but the virus HIV and it has become a global epidemic. HIV …showed first 75 words of 2847 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2847 total…goals for HIV infection prevention. Mental health should be the major focus because as awareness of mental health increases so will the understanding of why individuals participate in higher-risk behaviours. If those at the highest risk can realise the reasons for their risk taking, it is likely that they will take fewer risks as they begin to further understand the dangers. If individuals have hope they will not be as likely to endanger their lives.