Correlation between history of contact with people living with HIV/AIDS (PWAs) and tolerant attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and PWAs in rural Thailand.

This study examines the hypothesis that people who have more contact with PWAs (people living with AIDS) are more tolerant than those who have no contact with them. Four provinces with different incidence of AIDS in 4 different regions of Thailand were selected. Structured questionnaire interviews were conducted with village people, asking about their history of contact with PWAs, and knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and PWAs (n = 434). An 'Attitude Score', which indicates an accepting attitude (or tolerance) toward HIV/AIDS and PWAs, was developed using the results of the questionnaire on attitudes. Six factors: sex, education, age, province, knowledge, and history of contact with PWAs were positively correlated with the Attitude Score. After a multiple regression analysis, contact with PWAs was significantly associated with Attitude Score. This study is one of the first analytical studies conducted in a non-Western country to show that people's tolerant attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and PWAs are positively related to their history of contact with HIV/AIDS and PWAs. This findings should have important implications for future educational programmes and preventative intervention.