Abstract Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains one of the most persistent public health challenges of the 21st century. Despite the implementation of the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018 (RA 11166), the Philippines continues to grapple with the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, exacerbated by persistent social stigma. This study investigated the relationship between the perceived influence of HIV education and the attitudes of Filipino college students toward People Living with HIV (PLHIV). Anchored on Social Cognitive Theory and Intergroup Contact Theory, this quantitative descriptive-correlational study surveyed 345 undergraduate students at a higher education institution in Northern Mindanao. Results revealed that HIV education exerted a "Moderate Influence" (Composite Mean = 2.61) on the respondents; while students demonstrated high literacy regarding sexual transmission, instrumental stigma persisted, specifically regarding unfounded fears of transmission via shared utensils. Similarly, attitudes toward PLHIV were categorized as "Positive" (Composite Mean = 2.75), characterized by a dichotomy between a willingness to perform familial duties and a reluctance to engage in equal status social interactions. A significant moderate positive correlation (r = 0.482, p < 0.05) was established between educational influence and student attitudes. The study concludes that current educational interventions create a competence-gap, where biological knowledge is sufficient to identify risk but insufficient to dismantle the sociological fear of the host.
Himelga et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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