Theoretical Antecedents to HIV Risk Perception

BACKGROUND: HIV risk perceptions have been unreliable in predicting behavioral change, suggesting that significantfactors which may contribute to HIV risk perception remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to describe HIV risk perceptions of two discordant samples and theorize about possible antecedents to their HIV risk perception. STUDY DESIGN: The multiethnic samples consist of female college students (n = 286) and female HIV seronegative injecting drug users (n = 101). Secondary analysis of two data sets was conductedfor this comparative descriptive study. RESULTS: Approximately 90% of college students and 60.4% of injecting drug users appraised their HIV risk as nil or small Injecting drug users were 3.1 times more likely than college students to perceive some risk of HIV infection and 28.8 times more likely to perceive a large or great risk. CONCLUSION: Both samples minimized their HIV risk. HIV risk perception appears to be based on cognitive antecedents in addition to risky HIV-related sexual and drug-use behavior. It is theorized that both samples used the cognitive coping strategies of denial; distancing, and downward comparison to minimize their HIV risk perception.