Jonathan Rochkind, Samantha DuPont, & Amber Ott, Impressions of HIV /AIDS in America: A Report on Conversations with People Throughout the Country (2009)

For this report, Public Agenda, with support from the National AIDS Strategy Coordinating Committee and the MAC AIDS Fund, conducted focus groups around the country to explore the public’s perceptions of HIV prevalence and composition. The study also included interviews with various HIV/AIDS experts, including an interview with, Catherine Hanssens, CHLP’s Executive Director.

The findings indicated that the general public no longer perceives HIV as a major public health problem in America. Most participants reported that since they had not heard much about HIV in the United States for years, they assumed it was no longer a serious issue. Also significant is that the stigma around HIV/AIDS persists due to unfounded fear of transmission and stereotypes about the kind of people who contract HIV. The comments from the focus groups suggest a lack of public understanding about how HIV is transmitted, with many believing that HIV may be transmitted through sweat, kissing, or even casual contact. Participants also indicated that HIV is perceived as a disease that mostly affects people who engage in risky behavior, and while participants empathized with those living with HIV, they continued to see the issue as one of personal responsibility. Many of the members of the focus groups supported education and prevention initiatives, while some believed that finding a vaccine should take precedence over increased education.

Based on the report’s findings, the authors suggest that steps should be taken to help people understand that HIV/AIDS is still an issue of national importance. One avenue for raising awareness is to make sure that HIV/AIDS is included in the national healthcare debate. Another important step in reducing the stigma around HIV is to institute public education programs to give people a more accurate sense of how HIV is transmitted. Finally, the public should be educated about the benefits of public health interventions and initiatives.