Have you ever wondered why some people are afraid of certain things and others aren’t?
A phobia is an irrational fear that interferes with daily life. It’s a feeling of intense anxiety or dread that’s out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the object or situation.
People have phobias—a.k.a. irrational, extreme levels of fear—for all kinds of things. Some people are claustrophobic (afraid of small spaces), arachnophobic (afraid of spiders), or acrophobic (afraid of heights). Phobias can become serious problems if they impede your daily life. And this can be very much the case with HIV/AIDS phobia.
If you’re always on the lookout for HIV, it’s not because you’re over-examining your sexual health.
You probably just have a fear of being infected with the virus.
Moushumi Ghose, MFT, a licensed sex therapist, author, and documentary filmmaker tells TheBody that this deep-seated fear often comes from a place of “not feeling in control.” Hyperfocusing on the possibility that you might have HIV can be a way for someone to think they are taking back control, however unhelpful this may be in actuality.
If you’re struggling with a fear of HIV, it’s likely that your anxiety is coming from a place of feeling out of control.
Read the article below to learn more.
Caitlin Oates
Author
Doubling as LAST’s practice manager and intake coordinator, Caitlin is a writer and creative with a passion for sex-positivity, LGBTQIA advocacy, and mental health care.
Caitlin earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Northwestern University, and now flexes those communication muscles by teaching medical students humanism skills, coaching athletes in functional fitness, and learning from and working with LAST to promote, amplify, and normalize the importance of sexual and mental health.