mentioned methods of transmitting HIV

Although the unprompted, top-of-mind responses shown above illustrate that unsafe intercourse, the sharing of drug needles and blood transfusions are the more frequently mentioned methods of transmitting HIV, Canadians' overall knowledge and awareness of the most likely means of transmitting HIV is quite high in the prompted question. Upon being presented with a list of possible scenarios, nearly all Canadians are aware of the risk associated with unsafe intercourse and sharing drug needles (99 and 97 per cent, respectively). Nearly nine in ten (87 per cent) indicated that HIV could be passed from a mother to her unborn child and eight in ten (81 per cent) cited tattoos/body piercing as a method of transmission. Two-thirds (64 per cent) indicated that HIV could be transmitted through blood transfusions.

Fewer Canadians are misinformed about transmission methods, although some clearly are. One-quarter believe that the disease can be passed through kissing and mosquito bites (25 per cent in each group), while one in eight indicated that HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids (13 per cent) and through contact with (infected) blood (12 per cent). Eleven per cent believe that HIV is transmitted through a sneeze or cough and less than one in ten believe that it can be acquired through contact with objects (eight per cent) or casual contact (three per cent). Less than one per cent are unable to indicate any methods of how HIV may be transmitted. It is also interesting to note that unsafe intercourse is a more obvious method of transmission to people than sharing drug needles. Transmission from mother to child and tattoos or body piercing are even less obvious to most people.