STUDENTS KNOWLEDGE-BASE AND ATTITUDES ON SAFER SEX, CONDOMS AND AIDS - A STUDY OF 3 COLLEGES OF PHARMACY

Pharmacy students as future pharmacists will have to counsel and educa te patients on AIDS prevention. Students at colleges of pharmacy at th e University of Iowa (UI), Texas Southern University (TSU), and Massac husetts College of Pharmacy (MCP), were surveyed to assess their knowl edge and attitudes regarding safer sex and Acquired Immunodeficiency S yndrome (AIDS). A total of 848 (49 percent) students responded; 194 (6 3 percent), 307 (93 percent) and 347 (32 percent) from TSU, UI, and MC P, respectively. Though a majority of students reported having adequat e knowledge on AIDS or were willing to learn, knowledge of proper cond om use was lacking. Colleges were an important source for AIDS-related information. Most students reported that pharmacists can play an impo rtant role in AIDS prevention. Though most students had a favorable at titude towards the issue, a small number of students reported that the y would not associate with or serve human immunodeficiency, virus (HIV )-infected individuals. Pharmacy students as future health care profes sionals. lack knowledge on AIDS transmission and prevention. Measures to adequately educate students and provide continuing education to all pharmacists on AIDS should be undertaken.