The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7400 p559
13 May 2006

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Public lack knowledge of HIV

Many people are unaware that HIV can be passed on through unprotected sex, according to a recent survey of 2,048 Britons over the age of 15 years.

The survey, commissioned by the National AIDS Trust, also found that, of people who have had a new sexual partner in the past two years, 15 per cent would rarely or never use a condom with a new partner. Furthermore, only 10 per cent of people with a new sexual partner say that they would be tested for sexually transmitted infections or HIV before ceasing to use condoms, the survey found.

People who were well informed about HIV risks were less likely to discriminate against people living with the virus, the data suggest. There is evidence of a decline in stigma since the previous survey conducted in 2000, says the survey report.