• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: The Psychological Impact of Genital Herpes Stigma
  • Contributor: Merin, Abigail; Pachankis, John E.
  • Published: SAGE Publications, 2011
  • Published in: Journal of Health Psychology, 16 (2011) 1, Seite 80-90
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1177/1359105310367528
  • ISSN: 1359-1053; 1461-7277
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: <jats:p> This article reviews the psychological consequences of genital herpes infection through the lens of a recently proposed framework for conceptualizing concealable stigmas. We incorporate research on identity, stigma, and the connection between psychological and physical health to outline how negative stigma-related psychological consequences perpetuate distress associated with genital herpes. Our review of the research suggests a model linking negative affect and poor coping to frequent recurrences of genital herpes outbreaks. Frequent outbreaks, in turn, increase the salience of the stigma, reinforcing a stigmatized self-schema, thereby creating negative psychological consequences, continuing the cycle. We conclude by discussing the implications of this model for future research and mental health treatment. </jats:p>