Most Canadians don't know a person with HIV can't sexually transmit virus if taking proper medication: survey

Only one in five Canadians are aware that a person with HIV can’t sexually transmit the disease if they are taking the proper medication, according to a new survey that suggests Canadians still have a long way to go in understanding the medical and social realities of HIV.

The survey, conducted by the U.K.-based market research company Opinium Research and commissioned by pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare, assessed responses from 1,000 Canadians to get a picture of their grasp on how HIV spreads and how much stigma those with HIV are still facing.

Numerous medications are approved in Canada for HIV treatment, several of which are manufactured by ViiV Healthcare.

While 72 per cent of respondents correctly identified that HIV can be contracted by anyone, the survey indicated that large gaps still exist in general knowledge regarding HIV.

A quarter of participants stated that they believe HIV can be transmitted through kissing — which it can’t — while more than half of Canadians incorrectly believed that a pregnant person taking effective treatment for HIV can still pass the virus to their baby.

HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, transmitted through contact with certain fluids, including sexual fluids, blood and breastmilk. Although there is no cure, current treatment can allow those with HIV to live a full life. Without treatment, HIV can progress to AIDS, the most severe stage of HIV infection. According to the World Health Organization, 650,000 people died of HIV-related illnesses in 2021 worldwide.

As of 2020, there were more than 62,000 Canadians living with HIV, according to a Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) estimate.

Thursday marks World AIDS Day, which has been recognized by the United Nations since 1988.

SOME CANADIANS LACKING AN UNDERSTANDING OF HIV

Part of the survey focused on having participants select if they thought a statement about HIV was true or false, or if they weren’t sure.

Nearly half of the respondents believed that a person living with HIV will have a shorter lifespan than someone who is not.

Around 57 per cent of participants successfully identified that HIV cannot be transmitted through kissing, but 18 per cent answered that they didn’t know.

The statement that had the most confusion was whether a pregnant person taking HIV medication could pass the virus to their baby, with one third of participants stating that they didn’t know.

When presented with the statement that a person living with HIV and taking proper HIV medication cannot sexually transmit the virus, 56 per cent of respondents incorrectly said this was false, while another 23 per cent said they didn’t know.

And although most participants answered correctly that anyone can contract the virus, 19 per cent believed this was false.

The results suggest that misinformation about HIV is still persisting, even in 2022, despite treatments that can help prevent transmission and enhance quality of life having existed for more than a decade.

During the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, an HIV diagnosis was considered tantamount to a death sentence. Now, although there is no cure, those living with HIV can receive antiretroviral therapy (ART), in which they are prescribed a combination of antiretroviral drugs. These drugs are aimed at inhibiting the development of viruses.

ART can ensure that a person’s viral load is so low that it is undetectable, and once a person with HIV is undetectable, they are no longer able to transmit the virus.

Essentially, this means that a person with HIV can live safely on this treatment, without having to fear that they will spread the virus to sexual partners.

The latest data from PHAC estimated that 85 per cent of Canadians living with HIV are currently receiving ART.

STIGMA STILL PERSISTING

The survey also looked at how Canadians perceived those living with HIV and how comfortable we are with talking about HIV/AIDS in Canada.

The answer, the survey suggests, is that Canadians are more comfortable speaking about other health issues. While 90 per cent of Canadians were at least somewhat comfortable speaking about diabetes, and 89 per cent were comfortable speaking about heart disease, just 75 per cent said they felt at least somewhat comfortable talking about HIV.

Around 41 per cent said they felt “very comfortable” talking about it, compared to 61 per cent who answered the same for discussing diabetes.

Those who have HIV themselves or knew someone living with HIV were more likely to report being comfortable talking about it.

The survey also found that nearly three out of five Canadians were not comfortable with the idea of dating someone living with HIV.

Just 39 per cent of respondents said they would be at least somewhat comfortable dating a person with HIV, with just 15 per cent answering that they would be “very comfortable”.

Respondents were far more likely to respond that they were at least somewhat comfortable engaging in other social interactions with a person with HIV, such as working in an office together (80 per cent), hugging (78 per cent) and holding hands (75 per cent).

Around one third of all respondents stated they were at least somewhat uncomfortable sharing gym equipment with a person with HIV.

HIV cannot be transmitted through sweat or casual contact.

Those aged 55 plus were the most likely to say they weren’t comfortable dating a person with HIV, at 63 per cent.

These biases haven’t gone unnoticed by Canadians, it seems — the survey found that three out of four Canadians agreed that there are still negative perceptions held in society toward people with HIV, despite advances in treatments and awareness campaigns.

One quarter of respondents admitted to having had negative thoughts about HIV or a person living with HIV. While 17 per cent of respondents said they would look at a friend or colleague differently if they were diagnosed with HIV, more than 60 per cent stated that they wouldn’t.

The majority of Canadians surveyed also agreed that more should be done to address HIV stigma in Canada, with 78 per cent stating that they understood that the use of stigmatizing language could be damaging and felt a responsibility for their words.

CANADA VS. THE WORLD

The Canadian data comes from one of eight surveys ViiV Healthcare commissioned for World AIDS Day, which looked at 8,000 adults across eight countries: the U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Africa and Brazil.

Across all countries surveyed, 46 per cent of respondents said they wouldn’t feel comfortable dating someone with HIV. Knowledge about HIV transmission was similar to Canada’s, with just 20 per cent of all respondents knowing that taking proper prescribed medication means a person with HIV cannot sexually transmit the virus.

Around 72 per cent of all respondents said they believe a person’s life would completely change if they were diagnosed with HIV, and 70 per cent said they were aware that stigmatizing language can negatively impact those living with HIV and could prevent people from accessing HIV prevention services.