Black South African Adolescents' Attitudes Towards AIDS Precautions

Abstract

A study based on a sample of 1020 individuals aged 17 years and over in five cities was undertaken for the purpose of investigating the relationship between sexual risk taking and attitudes to AIDS precautions. In line with Moore and Rosenthal (199 la) four dimensions of attitude were isolated-fatalism, antiprecautions, risk denial, abrogation of responsibilities. Three of these showed significant correlations with variety of sexual risk: multiple partnering, sex with casual partner, risk with regular partner. Results indicated that although late-adolescent students did underestimate their risks to some extent, they were also able to make some judgements about the gender-stereotypic responses to sexual situations which include unsafe sexual practices. Implications for interventions are discussed.