Psychosocial issues of AIDS in the nursing care of homosexual men and their significant others.

The psychosocial issues of homosexual men with AIDS and their significant others pose a profound nursing care challenge. The nurse's knowledge and sensitivity to these issues is necessary to meet the challenge of this patient group. Unique aspects of AIDS such as youth, stigma, contagiousness and sexual transmission, combined with neurologic complications, resultant anxiety and depression, and drug and alcohol use present a complicated array of needs to be addressed by the nurse. Crisis and existential theory frameworks are useful to apply to the nursing process when caring for patients facing a life-threatening illness. Goals such as maintenance of psychological well-being and the promotion of psychological growth can occur as the nurse assists the patient and his significant others to confront existential concerns. These concerns include death, meaning, freedom, and isolation. Providing nursing care for this patient population also has an impact on the nurse as he or she confronts mortality and sexuality. This calls for the nurse to examine his/her values and attitudes in order to provide optimal nursing care. In caring for homosexual men with AIDS and their significant others, the nurse is likely to experience personal growth. As the nurse assists the patient and his loved ones to live as they confront potential death, the nurse often gains an added appreciation of life.