LONDON-- December 01, 2022 -- ViiV Healthcare, the global specialist HIV company majority owned by GSK, with Pfizer and Shionogi as shareholders, today announced new data from a perceptions survey which unveils a widespread gap in public knowledge and understanding of HIV worldwide. The data found that three quarters of people (74%) believe that there are still negative perceptions when it comes to people living with HIV, and that one in six adults agree that if a friend or colleague was living with HIV, they might look at them negatively. While the majority of people surveyed did report feeling comfortable with physical contact, including holding hands (76%) or hugging (75%), only 1 in 2 people would feel comfortable dating someone living with HIV. Concerningly, the survey also found that a quarter of adults (25%) believe that it is not appropriate for employees to talk about HIV in the workplace, a factor continuing to perpetuate HIV as a taboo subject.[1]

The survey, conducted online by Opinium in 2022, collected insights from 8,000 adults across eight countries including the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Africa and Brazil. It also explored perceptions around language and the role it plays in how HIV is viewed and addressed, where:

· 70% agree that the use of stigmatising language could negatively impact the mental health and prevent at-risk communities from accessing HIV prevention services
· 80% of respondents feel that it is their responsibility to ensure the use of appropriate and non-stigmatising language when it comes to HIV

ViiV is one of many organisations advocating for people-first language to eliminate inappropriate and stigmatising terms such as people ‘infected with HIV’ or ‘catch HIV’, which continue to fuel negative attitudes and outdated perceptions.

“When we talk about HIV in conversation, in the media, within clinical settings, policies and guidelines, the use of stigmatising language can marginalise people living with, or affected by HIV,” says HIV physician Dr Laura Waters, Chair of British HIV Association and founder of the People First Charter. “Person-first language must be the absolute norm to help challenge HIV-related stigma and discrimination. We’ve come a long way - but too many examples persist and we need a unified voice to challenge these.”

HIV in View campaign collaborator and drag superstar Charity Kase says, “HIV has changed. Members of the HIV community can lead vibrant, rewarding lives and deserve to live peacefully without fear of judgement. It’s encouraging to see that a large number of people across the world are accepting of people living with HIV and their experiences, but clearly more needs to be done to address the lingering misconception from personal conversations to the words we use on dating apps, stigmatising language continues to stand in the way of us living in a truly open society that is free from intolerance. I hope these findings open the world’s eyes to how far we’ve come in the 40 years since HIV arrived on the scene, but also how far there is to go.”

“It is clear that there is an urgent need to increase knowledge and awareness of HIV, dismantle associated stigma, and ultimately reinforce the need to raise HIV on the global health agenda.” says Deborah Waterhouse, Chief Executive Officer of ViiV Healthcare. “This World AIDS Day, inclusivity and health equity remain at the forefront of our HIV efforts, and we urge every person to come together to help address inequalities, fight HIV stigma and discrimination which are currently holding back our progress of ending AIDS worldwide.”

These data were collected in support of the HIV in View campaign, which aims to challenge negative perceptions about HIV by showing the real-life experiences of the HIV community and sharing their stories. Launched in 2020, the campaign introduced the HIV in View gallery, a collaboration between ViiV Healthcare and Shutterstock Studios which shares the stories of individuals around the world leading rich and rewarding lives. The Shutterstock Studios gallery is filled with inspiring examples of just how much things have changed for many people living with HIV, a far cry from the fear once associated with the virus. The corresponding In Conversation video series was developed to show honest conversations around living with HIV, touching upon key topics such as the impact of language on stigma, disparities for transgender people living with HIV, and the need for an inclusive approach to HIV care.