The Stigma of Testing Intentions Revisited: The Exonerating Effects of Favorable Test Results

Abstract

The mere intention to get tested for HIV carries a significant moral stigma. The current work investigated the nature of this stigma by determining whether or not it persists in the face of invalidating evidence. Participants read a vignette about someone who declines an HIV test, accepts the test and is awaiting results, or accepts the test and receives negative results. Participants judged the person who received negative results as more moral than those who chose not to get tested. These results suggest that people who choose to get tested for HIV can be exonerated by negative results and may ultimately be viewed as more moral than those who choose not to get tested.