Awareness And Understanding Of HIV/ AIDS

New Ipsos research in Great Britain, South Africa, Kyrgyzstan and Ethiopia suggests that for many young people there is still a stigma attached to HIV.

One in seven of the young people interviewed in Britain would not be willing to remain friends with someone if they had HIV, while almost half (45%) would not be willing to buy food from a shopkeeper who had HIV, and two-thirds would not be willing to receive treatment from an HIV positive doctor.

In South Africa (the worst affected country in the world with more than 5 million people living with HIV) one in five of the young people interviewed would not be willing to remain friends with a person who had HIV, and in Kyrgyzstan almost half of young people interviewed would not be willing to remain friends with a person living with HIV.

Topline Results

• The research was conducted on behalf of the British Red Cross. The research was carried out by Ipsos in Great Britain, Ethiopia, South Africa and Kyrgyzstan. In each country 300 young people aged 14-25 were interviewed.
• Interviews in Ethiopia, South Africa and Kyrgyzstan were carried out face-to-face, in-home, and in Great Britain interviews were carried out online using a pre-recruited sample from Ipsos's research panel. Fieldwork took place between 26 October and 9 November 2007.
• The following regions were covered in Ethiopia: Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Gonder; South Africa: Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban; and Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek, Osh, Karakol and Jalalabad.
• An asterisk (*) denotes a finding of less than 0.5%, but greater than zero. Where figures do not add up to 100, this is due to multiple coding or computer rounding.

This survey is being conducted on behalf of the British Red Cross — a charity that works in this country and others to increase awareness of health-related issues so that serious health problems can be reduced and prevented. The following questions are being asked to help the Red Cross understand young people's attitudes and behaviour better. Some of the questions are personal and sensitive. You do not have to answer them if you feel uncomfortable, but if you do answer them we can assure you that your answers will be kept completely confidential.

Q1a Have you heard of AIDS, or not?

Q1b Have you heard of HIV, or not?

Q2 Do you think there is a cure for AIDS, or not?

Q3 To what extent do you agree or disagree that a person who looks strong and healthy can have HIV? Please select one answer only.

*Note that of the 296 who had heard of HIV in Ethiopia, 294 said they had heard of 'HIV' and 2 said they had heard of 'HIV / AIDS' (total:296)

Q4 Which, if any, of the following would you be willing to do? Please select all that apply.

Q5a To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Please select one answer only.

If a teacher has HIV but is not ill, she / he should be allowed to continue teaching in school.

Q5b To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Please select one answer only.

If a member of my family had HIV, I would want to keep it a secret.

Q6 To what extent, if at all, does the risk of getting HIV worry you? Please select one answer only.

Q7 Have you ever received information on how to prevent HIV infection, or not? Please select one answer only.

Q8 Which, if any, of the following apply to you personally? Please select all that apply.

Q9 If you have ever had sex, would you say you have used a condom … Please select one answer only.