strong discomfort around people with HIV/AIDS

This segment comprises 11 per cent of Canadians and is characterized by a low to mid-level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS (62 per cent scored low versus 21 per cent overall), and fairly strong discomfort around people with HIV/AIDS (43 per cent scored low versus 24 per cent overall). They tend to minimize and distance themselves from the issue (83 per cent scored high on this measure, compared with only 41 per cent overall). They are most likely to believe that AIDS is much less of a problem in Canada today than it was ten years ago, and that AIDS is a disease belonging to the third world, the gay community and drug users. This group is, in many ways, similar to the fifth group (Uninformed Uncomfortable), however, their knowledge level is somewhat higher and their discomfort around people with AIDS is not as acute, but the distance they place between themselves and HIV/AIDS is widest.

• This group is more likely than average to be misinformed about methods of transmission and testing. They are less likely than average to cite homosexual men and injection drug users as most affected groups. They are also more apt to believe that there is a cure for HIV/AIDS.
  
• This group tends not to view HIV/AIDS as being as serious a problem as other groups do. They are less apt than many others to believe that the risk is decreasing from five years ago. Most individuals in this segment (83 per cent) believe that the problem is much less serious than it was ten years ago, and that health groups have exaggerated the risk of HIV/AIDS. They also believe that there are effective treatments.