An HIV-Positive Mother States She Is Relieved After the Birth

question 7

Multiple Choice

An HIV-positive mother states she is relieved after the birth of her child to hear that the child is HIV-negative. Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

• A) "Symptoms could still appear over the next 2 years."
• B) "You took good care of yourself, so your child did not get HIV."
• C) "We will assess for signs of pneumonia to be sure."
• D) "The test will be repeated in 1 week to verify the negative status."

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Definitions:

Defense Mechanisms

Strategies the ego uses to defend itself against the anxiety provoked by conflicts of everyday life. Defense mechanisms involve denials or distortions of reality.

Projection

A psychological defense mechanism where an individual attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives onto someone else.

Reaction Formation

A defense mechanism that involves expressing an id impulse that is the opposite of the one that is truly driving the person.

Sublimation

A defense mechanism that involves altering or displacing id impulses by diverting instinctual energy into socially acceptable behaviors.