This Wednesday morning, a couple of young men enter the office of Professor Gilles Pialoux, head of infectious diseases at the Tenon hospital (Paris). They have just discovered their HIV -positiveness in HIV and consult the specialist for the first time. Their year of birth? 2003. They are not yet 22 years old. “What revolts me are the missed opportunities, protests the doctor, they are not in an exclusive relationship and spend time on the meeting applications, so I asked them if they had already heard of the prep [NDLR : la prophylaxie pré-exposition, un traitement préventif contre l’infection au VIH, actuellement remboursé à 100 % par l’Assurance maladie]. They replied that yes, but that they were never offered and that they did not know where to get it. Contaminating like that in 2025 is insane. “
Their situation is, alas, not an exceptional case. In 2023, 719 people under the age of 25 discovered their HIV -positiveness in HIV in France. They thus represent more than one in seven diagnosis (14.4 %). And this proportion increases: it was only 12.7 % last year and 13.1 % in 2019, just before the Cavid-19 pandemic, which has strongly disrupted screening.
In addition to this relative increase in infections in the youngest, there is a significant decline in knowledge of HIV infection. Alos that Sidaction launches its annual campaign, the association has published a study, carried out by OpinionWay, on “representations associated with the risks of virus transmission” and the data are worrying. If three -quarters of respondents – all aged 15 to 24 and representatives of the French population – believe they are well informed about the issue, there is an important resurgence of false information. Thus, 42 % of those questioned still think that the virus can be transmitted by a kiss; A third party thinks that you can contaminate by sharing their plate with an HIV positive person.
“Conversely, too few young people know that a person under treatment sees their viral load decrease to the point of no longer being detected in the analyzes,” insists Sandrine Fournier, the director of the financing pole of Sidaction associations. Therefore, the HIV positive person no longer transmits HIV, even by having unprotected sex. This specialist welcomes the “incredible advances” of scientific research in recent years, but the regression of social representations deeply the saddened. “Too many young people still think that a contaminated person is contagious and dangerous in their daily life. However, this is not the case,” she explains.
For Professor Gilles Pialoux, one cannot establish a direct correlation between this progression of disinformation around HIV and the increase in contamination among young people. She is nonetheless overwhelming. “It’s depressing. It’s been forty years that I have been working on HIV/AIDS, we have today an incredible palette of tools and yet we always have more than 5000 contaminations each year,” deplores the infectiologist.
School failure
Since the law of July 4, 2001, the Education Code provides “that information and sexuality education will be provided in schools, colleges and high schools at least three annual sessions.” The account is not there, as it is necessary. According to a recent report From the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (EESC), less than 15 % of students had benefited in 2021. In fact, important messages do not pass enough to young people. Only a third of young people aged 15 to 24 interviewed by OpinionWay had been tested within 12 months preceding the study. However, since January 1, 2022, HIV screening has been free, without appointment and without prescription, in all medical analysis laboratories in France since January 1, 2022.
In the same way, 65 % of them do not systematically use condoms during their sexual intercourse. Since January 1, 2023, every under 26 can, however, obtain free of charge and without a prescription in all pharmacies.
After years of inaction, a decree was finally published in early February 2025, planning the establishment of an education program for emotional, relational and sexuality life (known as Evars program). It provides – among others – a progressive teaching of sexual health issues from college and according to the needs of each age class. “We will be very vigilant on application,” promises Sandrine Fournier de Sidaction.
This Friday, March 21, the association is starting its major annual fundraising campaign which will end Sunday, March 23. Last year, the operation had allowed 3.88 million euros in donation promises, intended for research against HIV/AIDS, support for patients and the financing of awareness -raising operations.