“The sense of information among 15-24 year olds has declined since the start of the pandemic and to date we have not returned to pre-Covid levels. As if the pandemic had obscured knowledge about HIV/AIDS“, worries Florence Thune, general manager of Sidaction, in a communicated published on March 21, 2022.
Every year, on the occasion of Sidaction, Ifop carries out a survey among 15-24 year olds, in order to measure their knowledge of the disease. And the figures for this year are worrying. In 2022, 69% of young people feel well informed about HIV/AIDS. That is a fall of five points in two years: in 2020, they were 74%.
Even more alarming: less than one in two respondents feel well informed about where to go to get tested for HIV / AIDS, a figure in free fall since February 2019. “Despite the habit of screening acquired with Covid-19, the latter does not seem to have become a reflex for HIV, although it is an essential tool for prevention.“, warns the director of Sidaction.
False information on AIDS has a bright future ahead of it
As Covid-19 has taken center stage in the media, misinformation around HIV/AIDS is getting worse. The Ifop poll reports that 23% of 15-24 year olds believe that the AIDS virus can be transmitted by kissing an HIV-positive person. Worse still, 19% believe that the birth control pill protects against HIV.
Regarding a potential treatment, 27% of the young people questioned believe that there is a treatment today to cure AIDS. And only 48% are aware of the existence of emergency treatment if a risk is incurred.
This disinformation can be explained in particular by the media space given to AIDS. “HIV is moving away from the concerns of young people because it has been invisible for several years“, regrets Fréderic Diabi, general manager Opinion of the Ifop group.
People aged 15-24 tend to trivialize the virus too much
While 40% of those polled think that infections are decreasing among young people, the rest (50%) think that people living with HIV are not discriminated against.
Many young people no longer seem to be afraid, even though their knowledge of the virus is distorted: only 34% of respondents say they have always used a condom during sexual intercourse, a figure down 14 points compared to 2009. 29% even consider having less risk than others of being contaminated.
Finally, the school should play a leading role in the prevention of AIDS. Nevertheless, 24% of the young people questioned indicated that they had never benefited from any specific teaching or information on HIV during their schooling. And less than half of them have been able to benefit from it only once. “It is urgent to resume prevention and awareness actions on HIV/AIDS and sexual health among 15-24 year olds“, warns the Sidaction.
Source :
- Ifop poll – Young people, information and AIDS prevention: a deterioration that is confirmed, Sidaction, 21 March 2022
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