While science offers ways to end the epidemic by 2030, the fight against AIDS still faces an old adversary: preconceived ideas. On this World AIDS Day, Sidaction recalls that prejudices about HIV are tenacious and trivialize the risk of contamination, particularly among young people.
Transmission by saliva, epidemic contained », serophobia… Forty years after the discovery of HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS, prejudices die hard. Although scientific progress now allows HIV-positive people to no longer transmit HIV, or even to envisage the elimination of the epidemic by 2030, false beliefs persist.
Worse still, the information gap is widening, particularly among young people, who are nevertheless particularly exposed. “ These beliefs even go against science. I have the impression that the message will have to be repeated over several generations », complains Florence Thune, general director of the Sidaction association.
Circulation of preconceived ideas
Is it possible to be infected with HIV while drinking from the same glass? “Yes”, answer 25% of young people aged 15 to 24 in France, according to an Ifop survey conducted for Sidaction, unveiled this Wednesday, November 29. Indeed, if 79% of them consider themselves well informed about AIDS, its modes of transmission, its treatments and its means of prevention, many of them believe in the preconceived ideas that circulate about the virus.
For example, 55% of respondents think that this is an epidemic that is now contained. Yet, ” every year there are new infections: in 2022, they are estimated at 1.2 million », Specifies Lucie Etienne, CNRS researcher at the International Center for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), in Lyon. The survey also reveals that more than one in three young people believe that there is a vaccine to prevent the transmission of HIV. 21% think that the virus only affects homosexuals and drug addicts, compared to 20% who believe that it only circulates in Africa. Finally, 30% of them think it is possible to contract it by kissing an HIV-positive person, an increase of 15 points compared to 2020.
“ We see how young people lack information. Not just on HIV, but on sexuality generally », Analyzes Florence Thune. “ What surprises us the most is that there is an increase in people who believe all this compared to previous years, even though the feeling of information has never been so important since 2009. »
For Lucie Etienne, who works in higher education establishments, the observation is clear: “ Even in scientific courses, the misinformation about HIV is impressive and we hear beliefs close to those that emerge in the survey. People think they can become infected after drinking from the glass or eating from the plate of an HIV-positive person. »
Scientific truths still ignored
Although the survey focuses on young people, they are not the only ones to spread false information about AIDS. As Florence Thune points out, the figures are similar when we focus on the general population. “ We asked them the question “Would you feel uncomfortable if you knew the person looking after your child was HIV positive?”. 44% of adults answered yes », recalls the general director of Sidaction.
These rumors, partly fueled by the Covid crisis » and distrust of scientists, push some adults to ignore scientific truths that have been proven for several years. “ We have known that HIV-positive women can have children without risk of transmission for more than fifteen years. When I point it out, we still look away », wonders Florence Thune. “ Even today, HIV-positive women who want to have children are stigmatized, including by medical personnel. » Lucie Etienne continues: “ Recent advances are still unknown to the general public. There is a glaring gap between new treatments and the public, who ignore them. »
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A ” irrational fear »
Thus, in addition to encouraging risky practices, misinformation gives rise to stigmatization and irrational and fantasy fear » in relation to AIDS and HIV. If 39 million people in the world live with HIV, they must also live with the eyes of others. “ If one day we end the epidemic, people living with HIV will still be there. And they will continue to suffer discrimination », specifies Florence Thune.
In 2023, it is still impossible to cure the virus, but treatments make it possible to live with it, almost normally, without transmitting the virus, even in the event of unprotected sexual intercourse. HIV is thus neutralized without being eliminated. However, the stigma of HIV status remains tenacious and sticks to them. “ The day the epidemic is eliminated and there is no more discrimination is the day I can finally say that I am HIV negative. I don’t think I’ll ever experience this in my lifetime. », regrets the one who learned that she had HIV at the age of 30. According to the Ifop survey, 42% of young people believe that an HIV-positive person represents a danger if they work in a health profession, compared to 29% if they are a work colleague or 28% for a better friend.
It is in part this view of HIV status that slows down the use of screening, according to Florence Thune. In 2022, the number of people who discovered their HIV status will be around 5,000. Among them, 43% were at a late stage, that is, at an AIDS stage – when HIV has, over time, weakened the immune system and a person begins to develop signs of the infection. Almost one in four people were over 50. “ This generation which lived through the first years of AIDS also forgets that HIV still exists », she comments.
Lack of prevention
This situation alerts Sidaction, which denounces the lack of action by the public authorities. “ I cannot fail to make the link between the lack of information for young people and the insufficient application of the 2001 law on sexuality education. », takes offense Florence Thune. This law relating to abortion and contraception provides for three annual sexuality education sessions. In March 2023, in order to remind the French State of this obligation, several associations, including Sidaction, took legal action before the administrative courts.
“ We really need to redo information campaigns on a national scale to raise awareness among the people concerned and send clear messages to the entire population. », adds the general director of Sidaction, which launched this Friday the awareness campaign “Clicks of temptation”aimed at attracting the attention of young people to awareness-raising content.
However, for her, the road remains long. In 1994, during the first Sidaction, the actress Clémentine Célarié kissed full on the lips an HIV-positive man who said he already suffered from serophobia. Almost thirty years later, we say to ourselves that we should do this again », confides Florence Thune in one breath.