What is it about?
This study explores how undergraduate students in Departments of Primary Education in Greece understand HIV and people living with HIV. It examines the social representations, attitudes, and responsibility attributions that shape how HIV is perceived. The findings show that HIV-related stigma is not only a matter of limited knowledge. It is also linked to wider social beliefs, moral judgments, and stereotypes about gender, sexuality, national origin, and intersecting forms of social vulnerability.
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Why is it important?
The study is important because it focuses on future primary school teachers. Educators can play a key role in challenging stigma, promoting acceptance of diversity, and supporting a more inclusive public health culture. By showing how HIV-related stigma is connected to social and moral assumptions, the study highlights the need for education that goes beyond information alone. It calls for an intersectional approach to understanding and addressing stigma, especially in teacher education and public health communication.
Perspectives
As a social psychologist working at the intersection of health, education, and stigma, I see this publication as part of a broader effort to understand how public health issues are shaped by social meanings, moral judgments, and everyday stereotypes. HIV-related stigma is often treated as a problem of misinformation alone. This study suggests that knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient. We also need to examine the social representations that influence how people assign responsibility, express attitudes, and imagine vulnerability. For me, the focus on future primary school educators is especially important. Teachers do not only transmit information; they also help shape the values, sensitivities, and inclusive culture of future generations. This is why addressing HIV-related stigma in teacher education can contribute to a more informed, empathetic, and equitable public health culture.
Dr Chrysovalantis Papathanasiou
Panteion Panepistemio Koinonikon kai Politikon Epistemon
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: HIV Representations, Attitudes Toward People Living With HIV, and Responsibility Attribution: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Undergraduate Students of Primary Education in Greece, Howard Journal of Communications, June 2026, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/10646175.2026.2677531.
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