ATTITUDES REGARDING AIDS OF Α SAMPLE OF DERMATOLOGICAL PATIENTS
Abstract
Ιn this research study, the social attitudes and the personal behavioural reactions regarding AIDS were examined. The sample consisted of 70 individuals who visited the outpatient Dermatology clinics in two hospitals in Cyprus and completed a questionnaire. Ιt was found that the subjects had a negative social attitude towards the HIV carriers, but they did not regard their isolation as necessary. Furthermore, they did not believe that they were at risk for acquiring the HIV virus, but a large percentage of them believed that AIDS constitutes a normal punishment. The majority of the persons asked stated that the test for HIV infection should be mandatory fοr the individuals who belong to high-risk groups and that the medical report should not be confidential. lt is possible that such attitudes may form the basis racist behaviour towards members of high-risk groups. Finally, a decrease of the number of sexual partners of the persons asked during the last year in comparison with the time period before the beginning of their personal information regarding AIDS was reported.References
Batchelor, W. F. (1984) AIDS: Α public health and psychological emergency. American Psychologist, 39, 1279-1284.
Deuchar, Ν. (1984): AIDS in New York City with particular reference to the psycho-social aspects. Br. J. Psychiatry, 145, 612.
Dickens, Β. Μ. (1988): Legal Rights and Duties in the AIDS epidemic. Science, 239, 580-585.
Ebbesen, Ρ. Melbye, Μ., & Beckmann, J. (1986): Fear of AJDS. Scand. J. Soc. Med., 14, 113-118.
Elford, J. (1987): Moral and social aspects of AIDS: Α medical students' project. Soc. Sci Med., 24, 543-549.
Fineberg, Η. V. (1988).: Education to Preνent AIDS: Prospects and Obstacles. Science, 239, 592- 596.
Hirsch, D. Α. and Enlow R. W. (1984).: The effects of AIDS on gay lifestyle and the gay indiνidual. Ann. Ν. York Acad. Sci. 437, 273.
Joseph, J. G. et al. (1984): Copίng with the threat of AIDS. American Psychologist, 39, 1297-1302.
Καλλlίνικος, Γ. και Παπαευαγγέλου, Γ. (1987).: Επιδημολογία του συνδρόμου της επίκτητης ανοσολογικής ανεπάρκειας (AIDS). Ελληνικά δεδομένα. Ιατρ . Επιθ. Εν. Δυν. 21, 113-122.
Kaplan, Η. Β., Johnson, R. J., Bailey, C. Α., Simon, W. (1987).: The sociological study of AIDS: a critical reνiew of fhe literature and suggested research agenda. Journal of Health and Social Behaνiour,
, 140-157.
Klein, D. Ε., Sulliνan G., Wolcott D. L., et al (1987).: Changes in AIDS Risk Behaνiours Among Homosexual Male Physicians and Uniνersity Students. Am. J. Psychiatry, 144, 742-747.
Κρανιδιώτης, Π. Θ. (1987).: Κριτικές σκέψεις πάνω στην τελολογία του AIDS. Ιατρ. Επιθ. Εν. Δυν., 21, 201 -205.
Martin, J. L., & Vance, C. S. (1984): Behaνioral and Psychosocial Factors in AIDS. American Psychologist, 39, 1303-1308.
Millan, G. & Ross Μ. W. (1987).: AIDS and gay youth: Attitudes and lifestyle modifications in young male homosexuals. Community Health Studies, 11, 50- 53.
Miller, D., Green, J., Farmer, R., & Carroll, G. C. (1985): Α «Pseudo-AIDS" Syndrome following from tear of AIDS. British Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 550- 551.
Morin, S. F., Charles, Κ.Α., & Malyon, Α.Κ. (1984): The Psychological impact of AIDS on gay men: American Psychologist, 39, 1288-1293.
Nichols, S. Ε. (1985): Psychosocial reactions of persons with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Annals of Internal Medicine, 103, 765-767.
Nichols, S. Ε. (1983): Psychiatric aspects of AIDS. Psychosomatics, 24, 1083-1089.
Παπαευαγγέλου, Γ., (1985): Πρόσφατες εξελίξεις στο πρόβλημα του · AIDS στην Ελλάδα. Ιατρική 48-69.
Phillips, Κ. (1988): Strategies Against AIDS. The Psychologist, 1, 46-47.
