INNOCENT VICTIMS OF AIDS - IDENTIFYING THE SUBTEXT

References to ''innocent victims'' of AIDS in the media and public dis course imply that other people with AIDS or HIV are blameworthy. In th e present study, college undergraduates read two newspaper articles ab out an ''innocent victim'' of AIDS, and were required to report what t hey understood to be the ''victim's'' message. Very few participants r eported the subtext without prompting. When asked directly, however, m ost respondents (88%) agreed that the ''victim'' was making an implici t statement about other people with AIDS, and 70% of this subgroup cor rectly identified the subtext. Compared to other respondents, those wh o identified the subtext had more positive attitudes toward homosexual s.