Changing AIDS-risk behavior.

Thisanicle contains a comprchcnsivc.critical rwicw of the acquirc'd immunodcficicncy syndrome (AIDSFrisk-reduction literature on interventions that have targeted risky sexual behavior and intravenous drug use practices.A conceptually based, highly gcncnlizable model for promoting and evaluating AIDS-risk behavior change in any population of intemt is then proposed.The modcl holds that AIDS-risk reduction isa function of people's information about AIDS transmission and prcvcntion, their motivation to rcducc A i h risk.and their behavioral skills for performing the specific acts involved in risk rcduaion.Supportive tats of this model, using structural equation modeling techniques, arc then rcponed for populationsof university studentsand gay malca5nity group members.Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) hasbecorrone of the major public health thrr;ts of the twentieth century.This disease is caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is transmitted through sexual contact and blood and body fluid vectors.AIDS has already been diagnosed in over 196,000 Americans (Centers for Disease Control, 199 1 ), and a cumulative 390,000-480.000AIDS cases are expected in the United States by the end of 1993 (Centers for Disease Contrc!. 1992).An estimated 1.5 million Americansarecurrcntly asymp tomatic carriers of HIV (U.S. Public Health Service.1988); these people arc both infectious to othcn and likely to develop AIDS themselves.AIDS has already had devastating e K e a in populations of gay men (Centers for Disease Control.1990).