SPARED AT RANDOM - SURVIVOR REACTIONS IN THE GAY COMMUNITY

Many gay men who have tested negative for HIV were sexually active pri or to a general awareness of how HIV is transmitted. Based on the work of Lifton (1980), such HIV-negative gay men may be considered ''survi vors'' since they have witnessed the deaths of many members of their c ommunity and have been spared. Survivors may be expected to manifest o ne or more of three survivor reactions: guilt about surviving (HIV-rel ated guilt), anxiety about dying (AIDS-related death anxiety), and blu nted affect. The present study employed structural equation modeling i n samples of HIV-negative (N =129) and HIV-positive (N = 95) gay men t o assess psychological and behavioral variables predictive of the pres ence of a survivor reaction. Survivor reactions were uniquely predicte d among HIV-negative gay men. The larger the number of sexual partners HIV-negative gay men reported having had prior to 1984, the more like ly they were to experience a survivor reaction. Greater satisfaction w ith social support from gay friends, and, indirectly, gay-related comm unity group involvement, was associated with being less likely to expe rience a survivor reaction.