Mothers’ and adolescents’ perceptions of AIDS vulnerability

Abstract

The authors examined perceived vulnerability to AIDS among mothers and adolescents. One hundred and eleven mother–adolescent dyads of Latino descent participated in the study, completing questionnaires about perceived AIDS vulnerability, exposure to people with AIDS, AIDS knowledge, and mother–adolescent communication about AIDS and sexuality. Mothers reported lower levels of AIDS vulnerability than did their adolescents, although mothers were more knowledgeable about AIDS than were their adolescents. The results of this study have implications for the role of perceived vulnerability in health behaviour models and for future interventions aimed at preventing HIV in adolescents.