A national telephone survey was conducted (1) to assess present-day public reactions to people with HIV/AIDS in the Netherlands, (2) to measure how knowledge about highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is related to public reactions to people with HIV/AIDS, and (3) to investigate determinants of willingness to have personal contact with people with HIV/AIDS. Dutch adults (N = 751) participated in a telephone interview conducted to measure cognitive, emotional and behavioral reactions to people with HIV/AIDS. This study has shown that public reactions to people with HIV/AIDS seem to be moderately positive in the Netherlands. Knowledge about HAART is related to lower risk perceptions, a positive attitude towards homosexuals, less fear and more willingness to have personal contact with people with HIV/AIDS. In particular cognitive, but also emotional factors are meaningfully related to willingness to have personal contact with people with HIV/AIDS. Implications for Dutch AIDS educational campaigns aimed at stigma reduction are discussed.

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hdl.handle.net/1765/10169
AIDS Education and Prevention: an interdisciplinary journal
Department of Psychology

Bos, A., Kok, G., & Dijker, A. (2001). Public Reactions to People with HIV/AIDS in the Netherlands. AIDS Education and Prevention: an interdisciplinary journal. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/10169