Attitudes toward and knowledge of AIDS among African American social work students

Social work students can be trained to assume critical roles in response to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in the African American community. To effectively prepare social work students for these roles, educators must ascertain the knowledge and attitudes of students toward the epidemic. Although several researchers have studied the AIDS knowledge and attitudes of social work students in general, none have reported on the knowledge and attitudes of African American social work students as a group. In the present study, 48 graduate-level African American social work students responded to a questionnaire to measure these characteristics. Many students had incomplete knowledge about AIDS, felt unprepared to handle AIDS practice situations, and felt apprehensive about contact with people with AIDS. Social work educators need to take steps to ensure that African American social work students are prepared to intervene effectively in the AIDS epidemic.