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Abstract
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is a disease of human immune system in which the body’s normal defense system breaks down. HIV positive people suffer in every aspect of life, therefore, it is necessary to know their psychological needs and fulfill them through effective counseling so that they can lead their life more efficiently and comfortably. It would help to manage emotions after the experience of stressful events. The present study aims to find out the psychological needs among HIV positive males and females. The study has been conducted at ART Centre Department of Medicine, S. S. Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. A total sample of 40 HIV positive people in the age range of 21 to 55 years (20 males and 20 females) has been taken for the study. Deci & Ryan (2000)’s Basic Psychological Scale consisting 21 items concerning the three needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness has been administered on the sample. Data was analyzed by using t-test. The result indicates that there are significant differences on the measures of competence and relatedness whereas the gender difference is only on the measure of relatedness.