College Students' AIDS Risk Perception

Students must perceive their risk of acquiring HIV before thinking they must alter their behavior. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe college students' AIDS risk perceptions (ARP) for themselves, their friends, and their peers, and to describe their AIDS-related risk behavior. A self-selected sample of 40 students participated in in-depth interviews. Verbatim transcripts of audiotaped interviews were analyzed. Most students appraised their risk as "nil" or "small," their friends' risk similar to theirs, but their peers' risk as "great." Students "self-identified" certain sexual and drug-use practices as AIDS risks. Yet, they minimized the riskiness of their personal and their friends' behavior while maximizing the riskiness of their peers' behavior. Strategies are suggested to help students develop more realistic ARP.