Family Therapists' Response to AIDS: An Examination of Attitudes toward AIDS, Persons with AIDS (PWAs), and Homosexuals

As the numbers of individuals and families impacted by AIDS continue to multiply, family therapists will increasingly be asked to become engaged in the challenge of caring for those affected. To date, little has been written in family therapy journals regarding the response of family therapists to this crisis. This paper represents an initial attempt to examine the attitudes of clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy toward AIDS and persons with AIDS. Included in the study are data regarding the therapists’ contact with persons with AIDS, gays, and lesbians, and the impact of such contact on attitudes. Implications for future research, training, and treatment of those affected by AIDS are also provided.