Collective AIDS activism and individuals' perceived self-advocacy in physician-patient communication

In a study of AIDS activism and communication patterns between people with HIV or AIDS and health care personnel, parallel persuasive processes are de scribed between social or political activism and personal self-advocacy. Th e analysis of public and private discourse leads to 3 interrelated conclusi ons about AIDS activist behaviors at the collective and individual levels: (a) greater patient education about the illness and treatment options is en couraged, (b) a move assertive stance toward health care is promoted, and ( c) mindful nonadherence is considered. Activists perceived that their self- advocacy behaviors, in turn, impact the physician patient interaction. In c ommunicative interactions, education allows patients to challenge the exper tise of the physician, assertiveness allows them to confront paternalistic or authoritarian interactional styles, and mindful nonadherence allows them to reject treatment recommendations and offer reasons for doing so. Partic ipants reported that physicians had mixed reactions to their self-advocacy attempts.