Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals

Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals
Open Access

ISSN: 1948-5964

+44 1300 500008

Are stereotypes towards people with AIDS decreasing or increasing over time? A pilot study with two cohorts of university students


2nd International Conference on Retroviruses and Novel Drugs

June 30-July 01, 2016 Cape Town, South Africa

Yolanda Pastor and Vanessa Perez

Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Antivir Antiretrovir

Abstract :

People with AIDS remain in today's society a stigmatized group. The main objective of this paper is to describe and compare stereotypes towards people with AIDS in two cohorts of Spanish university students 2004 (n=230, Mage=19.77; SD= 1.71; 72.6% girls) and 2012 (n=264; Mage=19.47; SD=1.73; 73.5% girls). Stereotypes were evaluated using two scales, one of which was addressed to assess the cognitive dimension and other to emotional dimension. Both adopted the format of response of the semantic differential. The reliability of the scales (Cronbach's alpha) in both groups took values between 0.71 and 0.84. Descriptive statistics and MANOVA (gender x cohort) were performed. Our results showed that people with AIDS are perceived by university students in both cohorts as reckless, drug users, promiscuous, unfaithful, neglected, sick, prone to prostitution and vicious. The emotions that have been aroused with greater intensity in both groups are: sadness, disgust, fear and worry. Our data show significant differences by cohort in stereotypes -in both dimensions, cognitive (Willks=.91, F=1.87, df=22, p=.010) and emotional (Willks=.89, F=3.29, df=16, p=.000). Students in Cohort 1 indicated perceive people with AIDS with less attractive, more marginalized and less abnormal and dirty than students in cohort 2. Cohort 2 showed more negative emotions toward people with AIDS. These results indicate that stereotypes of Spanish college students toward people with AIDS may be increasing over the years. Students show inconsistent views between what they think, what they feel and what they say they would do.

Biography :

Email: yolanda.pastor@urjc.es

Top