Exposure to people with HIV

Exposure to people with HIV

Close to four in ten Canadians (39 per cent) know or have known someone with HIV/AIDS, while 60 per cent do not and have not in the past.

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• Those aged 35 to 64 are more likely to know or to have known someone with HIV/AIDS (44 to 46 per cent), and youth (under 25) are least likely to (27 per cent).
  
• Having known someone with HIV or AIDS is also linked to education (34 per cent of those with high school or less have known someone versus 46 per cent of university graduates).
  
• Residents of BC are also more likely to know or have known someone with HIV/AIDS (47 per cent do), as are those who are Canadian-born (41 per cent).

Those who know or have known someone with HIV/AIDS are more likely to believe that HIV/AIDS is a serious problem (43 per cent do), are more likely to rate their knowledge of HIV/AIDS as high (52 per cent do), are more likely to be comfortable with HIV/AIDS and less likely to distance themselves from the issue. This suggests that knowing someone with HIV/AIDS has an impact on one"s knowledge of HIV/AIDS, as well as on perceptions and beliefs.

Just over half of those who know or have known someone with HIV/AIDS state that this had little or no impact on their behaviour towards this person, while three in ten state that this had a moderate impact, and 15 per cent say it had a great impact. When asked how their behaviour changed, roughly one-quarter report that they became more cautious about casual contact with this person and some (11 per cent) reduced the time they spent with this person. On the other hand, roughly one-quarter said they expressed more sympathy toward that person as a result of this knowledge, became more supportive of that person (16 per cent), or practiced safer sex with that partner (five per cent). More generally, two in ten indicate that knowing someone with HIV/AIDS increased their awareness of HIV/AIDS (22 per cent).

Overall, it appears that those who report a great impact on their behaviour are more likely to have become more supportive or expressed more sympathy towards that person, and less likely to have become more cautious about casual contact. Certainly, from the findings, a "great impact" cannot be construed to mean a negative impact. The impact on behaviour can result in increased awareness of HIV/AIDS, as well as sympathy and support for the individual in question.