Effects of mortality salience and perceived vulnerability on HIV testing intentions and behaviour

Objective: Research indicates that death thoughts that occur in response to health threats affect subsequent health behaviour. The present study examined the effects of mortality salience on HIV testing. Design: After reading an article that was intended to make them perceive that they had high or l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology & health 2014-04, Vol.29 (4), p.475-490
Main Authors: Grover, Kristin W., Miller, Carol T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Attitude to Death
Attitude to Health
Behavior
Female
Health Behavior
HIV
HIV Infections - prevention & control
HIV Infections - psychology
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Intention
Male
Mass Screening - psychology
Medical tests
Mortality
mortality salience
perceived vulnerability
prevention
Vulnerable Populations - psychology
Young Adult
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Summary:Objective: Research indicates that death thoughts that occur in response to health threats affect subsequent health behaviour. The present study examined the effects of mortality salience on HIV testing. Design: After reading an article that was intended to make them perceive that they had high or low vulnerability to HIV, participants wrote about death or an aversive control topic. Participants then indicated their intentions to get tested for HIV and were given the opportunity to take an HIV test at the end of the study. Results: Results showed that mortality salience increased testing behaviour among participants who were made to feel vulnerable to HIV, but decreased testing behaviour among participants who were not made to feel vulnerable to HIV infection. Conclusion: This research suggests that HIV prevention programmes must carefully consider how the association many people make between HIV and death may interact with people's perceptions of their vulnerability to HIV infection to affect their willingness to engage in preventative behaviours.
ISSN:0887-0446
1476-8321
DOI:10.1080/08870446.2013.866672