COUNSELING IN THE ERA OF AIDS

The AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) crisis is affecting greater numbers of people, and counselors are being called upon to work with this population. Counseling roles have expanded, and counselors have been thrust into the medical, social service, and political spheres. In this article the authors describe the role of the counselor in the era of AIDS; psychological reactions to a chronic, stigmatized, and ultimately fatal illness; and the special needs of specific populations (gay men, families and friends of gay men, gay youth, significant others, people of color, heterosexual women and lesbians, college students, substance abusers, and the ''worried well''). The authors also examine the effects of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) illness and AIDS on the care giver. Counseling interventions are described throughout the article.