situation involving a person with HIV/AIDS

• They express the greatest discomfort (60 to 80 per cent) in any situation involving a person with HIV/AIDS and tend to believe that people get what they deserve. They are the most opposed to the idea of people with HIV/AIDS serving the public (63 per cent said that people should not work in such positions as dentists and cooks). Although this group is less apt to report knowing someone with HIV/AIDS than average, their typical reaction would be to spend less time with them, if they do know someone.
  
• Although this group does not have a particularly distinguishable pattern of finding out about HIV/AIDS, they are characterized by greater skepticism of doctors, health care professionals and scientists, as well as people with HIV and organizations representing the interests of HIV infected people. They are more apt than any other group to view family and friends as reliable.
  
• This group has little knowledge of what the Government of Canada focuses on with respect to HIV/AIDS; however, they are less supportive of government involvement than most Canadians.
  
• Although the majority of this group is not sexually active, their perceived risk of contracting HIV/AIDS is higher than that of many Canadians. On the other hand, they are less apt to have been tested than any other group.
  
• This group includes a disproportionately high number of men, senior citizens (42 per cent of this group are over 65), low education and income individuals, and individuals who live alone. They are somewhat more likely to be found among Quebec residents. There is a higher proportion than average who were born outside Canada and belong to a visible minority group.