A new study into HIV stigma has found that Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) are the least knowledgeable about the virus.
The result appears in the new ‘State of HIV Stigma’ report from GLAAD. The US advocacy group published the results of its annual survey earlier this week.
The age group most clued-up about HIV is Generation X, who were born between 1965 and 1980. Sixty-two percent of this age bracket considered themselves ‘Knowledgeable about HIV”. This is perhaps unsurprising given that the AIDS epidemic hit its peak during Gen X’s formative years.
Millennials then said they considered themselves knowledgeable about the virus (50% of respondents), followed by Baby Boomers (46%). Only 34% of Gen Z felt they were knowledgeable about the virus. Even more concerningly, 5% of Gen Z said they were “not aware” of the virus.
It’s probably not a coincidence that rates of HIV transmission are now highest among those aged 13-35 (57% of new cases). This is partly due to a lack of knowledge, but also the fact the younger age group may be having more sexual encounters with more partners.
The study’s other key findings include a slight increase in the number of people who understand there are medications to prevent you from acquiring HIV. This increased from 67% of respondents in 2022 to 70% in 2023.
HIV in the media
Many Americans find out about HIV from TV and movies. Thirty percent said they’d seen someone with HIV on a TV show, and 19% in a movie. GLAAD says this highlights the importance of featuring people living with HIV in the media. This is particularly so if younger people are not finding out about HIV in school.
Depressingly, many Americans still feel very uncomfortable interacting with people who have HIV. This has gotten worse.
Forty-one percent of respondents said they’d feel uncomfortable with a barber or hairstylist who was HIV-positive, compared with 37% last year. Similarly, 32% said they would feel uncomfortable interacting with a co-worker living with HIV: up from 29% last year.
The vast majority (86%) of respondents believe that HIV stigma still exists. The majority (81%) also believe that anyone who doesn’t disclose their HIV status to a potential sexual partner should face legal action.
Ninety-one percent of the 2,500 adults questioned said they thought HIV prevention should be taught in schools.
Commenting on the results, Sarah Kate Ellis, the President and CEO of GLAAD, said, “Gen Z, the youngest generation in population surveys, is the most diverse and most out LGBTQ generation in history. According to our study, Gen Z is also the least knowledgeable about HIV.”
“Despite decades of scientific and medical advances chronicling people living long and healthy lives with HIV, stigma about HIV and discriminatory efforts to criminalize people with HIV remain entrenched. To this day, our study shows, more Americans inaccurately believe HIV mostly affects LGBTQ people, when the truth is, anyone can contract HIV.
“Rising visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ people is part of the solution, as is taking action against ongoing threats to everyone’s health, safety, and freedoms.”
If you’re unsure about the latest news on HIV, check out the CDC HIV portal for up-to-date information.
Related:
Good news for people living with HIV & their sexual partners
The effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been proven once again.
How would you feel about a friend who informs you the guy you’re hooking up with has HIV?
Is it “poz-phobic” of your friend to tell you about the other guy’s status?
Fahd
“Ninety-one percent of the 2,500 adults questioned said they thought HIV prevention should be taught in schools.””
Yet it’s not in a lot of places, especially where the DeSantis-type retrograde political forces have taken over. For shame!
still_onthemark
This can’t be true. Gen Z knows everything!
inbama
That’s what happens when there are no gay rights organizations or gay media anymore.
Maybe Self-ID will work for AIDS: If you say you don’t have it, you won’t!
pbh
Maybe teaching the younger generation to frikking not WHORE around and get the virus is a better idea???? Just a thought.
PREP. Condoms. CRAP. The virus is still here with no cure so NO.
LumpyPillows
This assumes anyone reads anything anymore that isn’t a meme or a TIKTOK.
As far as whore shaming, pbh – you really aren’t helping.
Kangol2
All over the country, teens are not getting comprehensive sexual education in schools–not in public schools, not in private nonsectarian schools, not in private religious schools, and not in homeschool environments.
As a result, they are ill-equipped, unless they’re curious and search out valid medical and scientific sources, to fully understand themselves as sexual beings and how to prevent pregnancy, STIs/STDs, and more. By failing to properly and fully educate Gen Z, we are putting their sexual health and wellness at risk.
This is tragic, especially given that we’re 50 years past landmark events and movements like Stonewall and the Women’s Rights Movement. The main reason why things are so backwards are retrograde, reactionary conservatives, especially religious conservatives, and far too fearful liberals, many of whom appear to have decided this isn’t an issue. It is.
The reason Gen X knows so much about HIV, STIs, etc. is because we LIVED through the worst years of the AIDS pandemic, we were bombarded (thankfully) with information about HIV prevention, and we also fought, as young people, against reactionary right-wing propaganda about sex and sexuality. (Older generations did this as well.) That includes the incorrect correlation above of frequency of sex with likelihood of seroconverting to HIV+. If you are practicing safer sex and taking PrEP/PEP, your chances of seroconverting would close to 0.
Education and activism need to happen much more now; no young person (or anyone) should be seroconverting at this point, and everyone with HIV should have the proper care and treatment they need.
Openminded
You are SO right with all your points. I am a huge believer in education, BUT, I have to ask, what are people doing that prevents them from knowing the basics on HIV/AIDS? I can’t fathom anyone being so lazy and non caring that they don’t google search the basics about sex. Information is everywhere and so easy to access. I guess I’m screaming at the 2-3% that don’t know HIV exists. I don’t typically belittle any group of people, but this is one group that I would say are just a waste of oxygen. Just how far are the rest of us expected to go to educate these people? Nobody can blame this on teachers or public health departments. IMHO, nobody has an excuse for not knowing about safer sex and STD’s.
Kangol2
Hi @Openminded, you make good points but I’ll say this: I have friends who’ve been involved in active HIV prevention and education, and they’ve told me many times that they encounter younger people (30 and under), of whatever sexual orientation, race, gender, etc., who have no idea about HIV transmission, its effects, the AIDS epidemic (except in a vague sense, etc.), and even the basics of human sexuality! They know about sex because they’ve watched porn, and have bits of info from social media or friends, but they’ve gotten abstinence-focused sex ed in school or none at all, and gotten no sex ed from their parents or guardians either, so they really have no clue. 2-3% of the US public is a sizable group of people; giving up on them is not a good idea, but I do get that while it seems like “info is everywhere,” so is disinfo and misinfo. And there’s even more of that out there, along with general ignorance (not meant as an insult), than most people think.
Openminded
I’m just mind blown that 2-3% can say they “are not aware” of HIV. I’d like to know how many people don’t know how babies are made. These, in my mind, are basic simple facts that everyone knows about.
pbh
And how does that exactly relate to HIV and its stigma???
1898
there’s an even higher percentage of heterosexual men of all ages across all generations who believe things like “a woman can’t get pregnant from r_pe,” they don’t know how to find the clitoris, they think women are physically incapable of having orgasms, etc… men being ignorant about sexual and reproductive stuff is definitely not a new thing
1898
put sexually-ignorant men in positions of power and this is what they do to sex ed curriculum. it’s not surprising; it’s predictable