The role of personal contact with HIV-infected people in explaining urban, African American preadolescents' attitudes toward peers with HIV/AIDS

Citation:

Miriam Schiff, McKay, Mary , Bell, Carl , Baptiste, Donna , Madison, Sybil , and Paikoff, Roberta . 2003. “The Role Of Personal Contact With Hiv-Infected People In Explaining Urban, African American Preadolescents' Attitudes Toward Peers With Hiv/Aids”. American Journal Of Orthopsychiatry, 73, Pp. 101-108. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/0002-9432.73.1.101.

Abstract:

This article presents the results of a study aimed at describing African American youths' attitudes toward peers with HIV/AIDS and identifying correlates of these attitudes based on the contact theory. Baseline data from a sample of African American, urban mothers and their youth (n = 197) participating in a family-based HIV prevention program were analyzed. In support of contact theory, preadolescents' close relationship to persons infected with HIV/AIDS was highly related to their attitudes. However, no relationship was found between maternal attitudes or communication variables and youth attitudes. The implications of youths' experience with persons with HIV/AIDS as part of prevention programming are discussed.