SOCIAL IDENTITY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH - ACCELERATED HIV PROGRESSION IN REJECTION-SENSITIVE GAY MEN

Research linking sensitivity to others and their evaluation of the sel f to alterations in physiologic function led the authors to examine wh ether HIV infection might progress more rapidly in gay men who are par ticularly sensitive to social rejection. Analyses of data from a 9-yea r prospective study of 72 initially healthy HIV-positive gay men indic ated that rejection-sensitive individuals experienced a significant ac celeration in times to a critically low CD4 T lymphocyte level, times to AIDS diagnosis, and times to HIV-related mortality (despite control for a variety of potential biobehavioral confounders). Accelerated HI V progression was not observed in rejection-sensitive gay men who conc ealed their homosexual identity, suggesting that concealment may prote ct such individuals from negative health effects. Data distinguishing rejection sensitivity from other health-relevant psychosocial characte ristics are presented, and possible links to HIV pathophysiology are d escribed.