ACCULTURATION, BELIEFS ABOUT AIDS, AND AIDS EDUCATION AMONG NEW-YORK-CITY HISPANIC PARENTS

The authors interviewed 100 Hispanic parents in the language of their choice (Spanish or English) to explore their beliefs about AIDS and AI DS education. The authors assessed the relationship between acculturat ion (language preference) and beliefs about AIDS and sources of inform ation about AIDS. In addition, they examined parents' beliefs about AI DS and their level of acculturation as predictors of what parents beli eved students should learn about AIDS transmission. Most parents appea red well informed about the major AIDS transmission routes (sex, shari ng needles) and the role of condoms in reducing AIDS risk. However man y seemed to have erroneous beliefs about casual contagion of AIDS (fro m being in the same room with a person with AIDS and from a public toi let) and about insect transmission of AIDS (from a mosquito bite). Les s acculturated Hispanics seemed less certain about the process of how AIDS spreads and about the possibility of catching AIDS through casual contact. Parents' beliefs about AIDS predicted what parents believed students should learn about AIDS transmission. The authors discuss the implications for prevention in the Hispanic community.