HEALTH-CARE WORKERS REACTIONS TO AIDS VICTIMS - PERCEPTION OF RISK AND ATTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITY

Reactions of health care workers to AIDS and its patients were investigated in a survey conducted in state health care institutions in different areas of Italy. Results show that health care workers (differently from the general population) do not see themselves as less vulnerable to AIDS risk than the typical citizen. Furthermore, nurses perceive themselves to be exposed to higher risk than doctors. AIDS patients are judged as personally responsible for getting infected, even though ‘intolerant’ reactions towards them are seen as very unlikely. Finally, results show that attribution of responsibility is higher for drug addicts, followed by homosexuals, ‘promiscuous’ heterosexuals and monogamous heterosexuals. Copyright © 1991 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd