Introduction
The Herpes Attitude Scale (HAS) is a 40-item self-report questionnaire that assesses attitudes toward genital herpes, including personal and public stigma, emotional reactions and social judgments about the virus. Katherine E. M. Bruce and Judith McLaughlin published it in 1986 in The Journal of Sex Research.
The HAS gives one overall attitude score from 0 to 100, where higher scores mean more positive attitudes and less stigma. This guide explains its content, scoring formula and use.
Key Features of the Herpes Attitude Scale (HAS)
Purpose and Use
The HAS gauges personal and public stigma, emotional reactions and social judgments tied to genital herpes.
Target Population
The HAS is intended for adults.
Structure
The HAS has 40 items: 20 positively worded and 20 negatively worded. The scale is unidimensional, so all items contribute to a single attitude score. The items cover:
General perceptions and perceived seriousness of the infectionEmotional reactions such as fear, anxiety, embarrassment and shameAttitudes toward people living with genital herpes, including stigma, prejudice and acceptanceBeliefs about intimate and sexual relationshipsWillingness to disclose the infection to partners, family or friendsPerceived ability to cope with the diagnosisPersonal responsibility and prevention of transmissionScoring Method
Each item uses a 5-point scale: strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree and strongly disagree.
Positive statements: strongly agree scores 5 and strongly disagree scores 1.Negative statements: reverse scored.Total score: HAS score = (X − N) × 100 / (N × 4), where X is the sum of the scored items and N is the number of items completed properly.Scores range from 0 to 100, and higher scores indicate more favorable, positive attitudes about herpes.
Administration Format
The HAS is a self-report questionnaire.
Applications of the Herpes Attitude Scale (HAS)
The HAS supports several uses:
Stigma research: measuring stigma toward genital herpes.Sexual health education: assessing students' attitudes about genital herpes.Health beliefs research: studying attitudes, disclosure and acceptance related to sexually transmitted infections.Languages and availability
The HAS was published in English in The Journal of Sex Research. No translations are listed.
Reliability and Validity
The original developers reported no subscales and considered the scale unidimensional. It has since been used to study students' attitudes and knowledge about genital herpes.
Validation studies:
The development of scales to assess knowledge and attitudes about genital herpes (1986): study linkStudents' attitudes and knowledge about genital herpes (1989): study linkLimitations and Considerations
Keep these points in mind:
Single score: the scale gives one overall attitude score, with no subscales.Limited evidence: few validation studies are available, and no translations are listed.Scoring formula: use the published formula so that scores fall on the 0–100 range.Other Versions And Related Questionnaires
These questionnaires are related:
Herpes Knowledge Scale (HKS), developed in the same 1986 articleSexually Transmitted Disease Knowledge and Attitude MeasuresAdditional Resources
The original article: linkThe original article lists Katherine E. M. Bruce, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC 28403, and Judith McLaughlin, Department of Health and Safety, University of Georgia, Athens.Browse more dermatology questionnaires in the ResRef database.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does the Herpes Attitude Scale measure?The HAS measures attitudes toward genital herpes, including stigma, emotional reactions such as fear and shame, attitudes toward people with herpes, relationships, disclosure and coping.
How is the Herpes Attitude Scale scored?Items are rated on a 5-point agreement scale, with the 20 negative items reverse scored. The total is (X − N) × 100 / (N × 4), where X is the summed score and N is the number of items completed.
What do HAS scores mean?Scores range from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate more favorable, positive attitudes about herpes and lower stigma toward people living with genital herpes.
Who developed the Herpes Attitude Scale?Katherine E. M. Bruce and Judith McLaughlin developed the HAS and published it in 1986 in The Journal of Sex Research, alongside a scale assessing knowledge about genital herpes.
A Word from ResRef About the Herpes Attitude Scale (HAS)
The Herpes Attitude Scale (HAS) is a self-report questionnaire developed by Bruce and McLaughlin (1986) to assess individuals' attitudes toward genital herpes. It measures perceptions, emotional responses, social stigma and acceptance related to genital herpes. The scale consists of 40 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale and provides an overall attitude score, with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes toward people with genital herpes.
References
Bruce, K. E. M., & McLaughlin, J. (1986). The development of scales to assess knowledge and attitudes about genital herpes. Journal of Sex Research, 22(1), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224498609551290Bruce, K. E. M., & Bullins, C. G. (1989). Students' Attitudes and Knowledge about Genital Herpes. Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, 15(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/01614576.1989.11074968