Being around HIV-positive people remains a source of discomfort, even if they are less rejected: 16% of French people still say they are uncomfortable with the idea of being around an HIV-positive person, according to a survey carried out by Aides.
Less fear and knowledge
Forty years after its creation, Aides, the leading association to fight AIDS and hepatitis in France and Europe, has published the results of an Ifop survey conducted in June among a sample of 1,500 people representative of the French population.
Among its lessons: the proportion of French people considering that the risks of being contaminated by the AIDS virus are not significant has increased from 14% in 1988 to 40% today. The under-25s are even a majority (51%) to consider that these risks are now low.
This reduced fear of HIV goes hand in hand with a decline in knowledge on the subject.
Undetectable viral load
Three-quarters of French people surveyed (77%) wrongly believe that one can be infected with the AIDS virus during unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV-positive person undergoing treatment.
However, we now know that an HIV-positive person taking antiretrovirals and who has an undetectable viral load does not transmit the virus to their partners even during sexual intercourse without a condom.
“The fear of finding out that you are HIV positive, fueled by serophobia, represents a significant obstacle to screening,” regrets Camille Spire, the president of Aides, quoted in a press release. “However,” she recalls, “this prevention tool allows for effective treatment, preventing people from reaching the AIDS stage and transmitting the virus.”
Discriminations
The survey shows that 78% of French people are aware that HIV-positive people are victims of discrimination.
