This study sought to ascertain the perceptions and expectations of dentistry students at the State University of Montes Claros. MG, Brazil, regarding care provided for HIV/AIDS patients. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews with nine students were used and three categories were identified: “Expectations from care provided at the HIV/AIDS clinic”, “Fear of becoming infection” and “Behavioral change”. It was seen that, before the students came into contact with patients, they constructed characterizations based on social stereotypes such as skinny individuals, male homosexuals and depressed appearance. Fear was observed through the tendency to overestimate the risks of transmission, with changes in behavior in relation to biosafety. Through using ethnographic methodology, the importance of dental clinical practice for students’ day-to-day routine could be seen, along with biosafety for breaking through paradigms and prejudice towards HIV/AIDS patients.
Perception; HIV; Ethnography; Dentistry