Segment Two: Informed Unconcerned

Segment Two: Informed Unconcerned

This segment comprises 24 per cent of Canadians. Members of this group have (on average) the second highest score on the knowledge index (61 per cent scored high compared with 46 per cent overall) are comfortable about HIV infected people (38 per cent scored high compared with 35 per cent overall) and do not tend to distance themselves from the issue of HIV/AIDS (36 per cent scored high versus 41 per cent overall). They are distinguishable from the first segment in only a few areas: they are younger and less affluent; and they believe that the magnitude of the problem is diminishing with time (54 per cent versus 23 per cent overall).

• With respect to knowledge, members of this group are less likely to be misinformed about methods of transmission and testing. They also know that there is no cure and HIV/AIDS is manifested in an inability of body to defend itself and that the onset of AIDS may not occur for ten years of more after contracting HIV.
  
• This group does tend to minimize the problem to some degree however. They are somewhat more likely to view it as a moderate rather than a serious problem today. They believe that the risk of contracting HIV is the same or less than it was five years ago and that the problem is much less serious than it was ten years ago (54 per cent agree with the latter statement in the survey).
  
• They are comfortable in most scenarios involving a person with HIV/AIDS and tend to report that they could be friends with someone with HIV/AIDS. They also do not tend to distance themselves from the disease. They are unlikely to view it as a disease that is contained to the third world, the gay community or to drug users, nor do they believe that people who contract HIV get what they deserve. In fact, they are most likely to say that people with HIV/AIDS are doing more today to protect others.