Stigmatization of persons with AIDS: results of a survey of public sector personnel managers.
Public and private sector organizations increasingly are being faced with problems arising from AIDS in the workplace. As with the AIDS epidemic generally, experts have stressed the need for organizations to mount educational programs to combat the spread of AIDS and the fear it engenders. Support of top management and leadership are considered essential for the effectiveness of AIDS education programs in the workplace. This paper presents the survey findings of a national probability sample of local government personnel officers, persons who are likely to be key actors in the development and implementation of AIDS education and counseling efforts in their municipalities. Responses to the mail questionnaire indicate that there is considerable AIDS awareness among municipal personnel officers, but that there also exists strong negative attitudes toward persons with AIDS and an unwillingness to interact socially with these people, even in workplace situations where there is no threat of transmission of the AIDS virus. These findings raise concerns about the current climate for development of effective AIDS education programs and other policies for rank-and-file workers in many local government settings.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D006076:Government; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010559:Personnel Management / Q000379:methods*; D011287:Prejudice; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States