MEDICAL-STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF AND WILLINGNESS TO TREAT PATIENTS WHOARE HIV-INFECTED

The purpose of this study is to examine the independent and joint infl uences of a patient's mode of acquisition of illness (blood transfusio n vs. multiple sexual partners), attributions of responsibility (self- blame vs. chance blame), and sexual orientation (homosexual vs. hetero sexual) on female and male medical students' attitudes toward and will ingness to treat a patient who is HIV infected. One hundred nineteen 1 st through internship-year medical students were randomly assigned to read and respond to case vignettes. Greater consistency between attri bution of blame and mode of acquisition was related to more positive p erceptions. Furthermore, the patient's sexual orientation influenced t he providers' willingness to offer treatment, particularly for male me dical students. Implications concerning health practices and medical e ducation are considered.