Only half of Americans are knowledgeable about HIV. Six in 10 Americans believe you have to be careful around someone with HIV or you’ll catch it, while 90 percent believe HIV stigma still exists.
The full study can be found here. The study on stigma found “people are quick to judge those with HIV,” and that “people make assumptions when someone is tested for HIV.” At a time when people living with HIV lead long and healthy lives, and cannot transmit the virus when on proper medications, only 60 percent of respondents believed HIV can be treated and nearly 60 percent wrongfully believe it is “important to be careful around people living with HIV to avoid catching it.” The survey also found that only slightly more than half of American