Abstract: A total of 251 Chinese college students from Shanghai (31 males, 88 females) and Guangzhou (59 males, 73 females) completed a series of scales concerning AIDS related knowledge, affective feelings and attitude toward PWA, discomfort of contact with PWA, perceived responsibility of contracting AIDS, and support of coercive polices. Results showed that college students (a)had misconceptions about casual contagion of AIDS, independent of correct beliefs about AIDS, (b) expressed significant negative feelings toward PWA, (c) expressed discomfort of contact with PWA, (d) did not support coercive policies upon PWA ; (e) did not think it was PWA’s responsibility to contract AIDS; and that (a) compared with college students from Guangzhou, those from Shanghai were more knowledgeable of AIDS and exhibited less negative feelings, negative attitude toward PWA and attributed less responsibility to PWA for their contracting of AIDS; and (b) it was misconception about casual contagion of AIDS but not correct beliefs about AIDS that was consistently predictive of negative reactions toward PWA. These findings call for strong efforts in disseminating AIDS related knowledge, particularly what can’t cause AIDS, and eliminating negative reactions towards PWA among college students in China, especially students in Guangzhou area.

Key words: AIDS, people with AIDS (PWA), misconceptions, perceived responsibility, coercive policies