Adolescents and AIDS

Abstract

This study examined midwestern, African-American, Latino, and Caucasian male adolescents' knowledge and beliefs regarding AIDS. The relationship between attitudes towards homosexuals and AlDS knowledge was also investigated. Subjects were 140 Caucasian, 68 African-American, and 50 Latino high school seniors. All participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions. Subjects in Condition One viewed an AlDS prevention video. Subjects in condition Two viewed the AlDS prevention video plus videos concerning sexually transmitted diseases and drug abuse. Subjects in Condition Three were controls. Significant differences did not emerge across conditions. African- American and Latino adolescents were significantly less homophobic than their Caucasian counterparts across the three conditions. Level of homophobia was not predictive of AlDS knowledge. African- American and Latino adolescents, in contrast to their Caucasian peers, indicated a greater concern in contracting the AlDS virus and desired further information about AIDS. Latino adolescents were less knowledgeable about AlDS than their African-American and Caucasian counterparts.