A scale of optimism-scepticism in the context of HIV treatments

The aim of this research was to develop a brief scale of gay men's optimism -scepticism in the context of new HIV treatments. Following comprehensive l iterature search and communicatior with other researchers, 34 items about v iral load testing, HIV therapies and concern about HIV infection were gener ated. By way of anonymous, self-complete questionnaires, these items were p ut to 532 gay men recruited at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair D ay in February 1999. Principal axes factor analysis and item refinement yie lded an optimism-scepticism scale based on 12 items (range 12-48, with high er scores indicating greater optimism). The sample mean was 19.8 (SD = 4.7) . The scale had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0 .79). Providing preliminary evidence of validity, men who reported unprotec ted anal intercourse with a casual partner 'in the past six months' had a s ignificantly higher mean score (21.3) than those who did not report this ri sk practice (19.5, p < 0.001). Similar validation was provided from separat e samples of gay men in Queensland and Sydney. Our scale of optimism-scepti cism in the context of new HIV therapies is a brief, reliable instrument wh ich can be incorporated within broader questionnaires and interview schedul es. It is a useful tool to monitor attitudes toward HIV therapies and possi ble associations with risk practices.