AIDS prevention in primary care clinics

To assess attitudes toward educational programs about AIDS, 540 patients and 36 of their medical providers in primary care clinics were systematically sampled to ascertain what age groups should be exposed to a pamphlet entitled “Am I at Risk for AIDS?”, as well as what was acceptable content for posters and pamphlets placed in clinic waiting rooms. Although fewer than 10% of patients and providers opposed asking both teenagers and adults to read a pamphlet listing risk groups and practices, 24% of patients and 51% of providers opposed exposing children to the pamphlets. Only 6% of patients and none of the providers opposed all posters about AIDS, but 30% of patients and 44% of providers opposed posters listing risk groups, and opposition was even greater to posters describing “safe sex.” Regarding pamphlets acceptable for clinic waiting rooms, resistance among patients and providers was common (>25%) only when sexual practices were specifically mentioned. Although 89% of patients stated they had never been asked about their sexual orientations by a doctor or nurse, 34% of providers stated that they “always” or “often” so inquire. In the primary care clinics surveyed, a wide variety of educational interventions about AIDS could be implemented with little opposition.