admin The latest research from ViiV Healthcare has shown a widespread gap in public knowledge and understanding of HIV worldwide, with three-quarters of people saying that there are still negative perceptions of people living with HIV.
ViiV Healthcare revealed data from the global study on World AIDS Day, 1st Dec 2022 as part of ViiV Healthcare’s ‘HIV in View’ campaign.
The online survey, accomplished by Opinium in 2022, collected an understanding of global perceptions of HIV from 8,000 adults across eight countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Africa, and Brazil.
Outcomes from the survey revealed that while the majority of people surveyed agreed that they feel comfortable engaging in some form of physical contact, including holding hands (76%) or hugging (75%), only one in two respondents said that they would feel comfortable dating a person living with HIV.
“It is clear that there is an urgent need to increase knowledge and awareness of HIV, dismantle associated stigma, and ultimately reinforce the need to raise HIV on the global health agenda,” states Deborah Waterhouse, chief executive officer of ViiV Healthcare. “This World AIDS Day, inclusivity and health equity remain at the forefront of our HIV efforts, and we urge every person to come together to help address inequalities, fight HIV stigma and discrimination, which are currently holding back our progress of ending AIDS worldwide.”
Also, survey outcomes found that 25% of adults do not believe it is appropriate for employees to discuss HIV in the workplace, a factor that ViiV Healthcare highlights as perpetuating the perception that HIV is a ‘taboo’ topic.
The survey also considered the role that language plays in how HIV is viewed and discussed, with 70% of respondents approving that using stigmatizing language could negatively impact mental health and prevent at-risk communities from accessing HIV prevention services.
“When we talk about HIV in conversation, in the media, within clinical settings, policies, and guidelines, the use of stigmatizing language can marginalize people living with, or affected by HIV,” says HIV physician Dr. Laura Waters, chair of British HIV Association and founder of the People First Charter. “Person-first language must be the absolute norm to help challenge HIV-related stigma and discrimination. We’ve come a long way – but too many examples persist and we need a unified voice to challenge these.”
The HIV in View campaign (launched in 2020) aspires to challenge outdated and negative attitudes towards HIV and those living with the condition by highlighting the real-life incidents of the community.
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