Overall, HIV/AIDS is a concern to many in the United States, both as a personal concern and as a problem facing the nation. African Americans and Latinos express more concern about the epidemic than their white counterparts.
In 2004, 21% of the public name HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health problem facing the nation (a share that had been on the decline since 1995, but increased somewhat since 2002). African Americans (43%) and Latinos (31%) are much more likely than whites (17%) to identify HIV/AIDS as the nation’s most urgent health problem. In fact, HIV/AIDS ranks first among African Americans as the most urgent health problem facing the nation. Young people are more likely than their older counterparts to name HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health problem facing the nation.
Perceived Progress On HIV/AIDS
Views on the nation’s progress in the area of HIV/AIDS are mixed. While more people say the United States is making progress (47%) on HIV/AIDS than losing ground (36%), this gap has narrowed since 1997. In 2004, African Americans are more likely than other groups to say the U.S. is losing ground rather than making progress in the area of HIV/AIDS. Between 1997 and 2003, the share of African Americans who said that the U.S. was losing ground on HIV/AIDS remained fairly steady at around four in ten, increasing to a majority in 2004.
Nearly six in ten (57%) Americans believe that spending more money on HIV/AIDS prevention in the United States will lead to meaningful progress in slowing the epidemic. African Americans are more likely than whites to say that increased spending will lead to progress.
Personal Concern About HIV/AIDS
In addition to concern about HIV/AIDS as a national epidemic, many Americans are personally concerned about the disease. Overall, almost two in ten (17%) Americans say they are personally “very concerned” about becoming infected with HIV and more than one-third (36%) of parents with children age 21 or younger say they are “very concerned” about their child becoming infected.
African Americans and Latinos are much more likely than whites to express personal concern about the epidemic. Four in ten African Americans (43%) and three in ten Latinos (30%) say they are personally “very concerned” about becoming infected with HIV compared to one in ten (10%) whites. African American and Latino parents are also more likely than white parents to say they are “very concerned” about their children becoming infected with HIV (66% of African American parents, 46% of Latinos and 26% of whites).
Knowledge About The Epidemic and Its Impact
A large majority of the public (71%) say that most of what they know about HIV/AIDS comes from the media, and people are well-informed about certain aspects of the HIV epidemic. Large shares know that there is no cure for AIDS (90%), that there are drugs that can lengthen the lives of those with HIV (88%) and that there is not currently an HIV vaccine available (79%). A smaller share of the public knows that a pregnant woman with HIV can take drugs to reduce the risk of her baby being infected (43%) and that having another STD increases a person’s risk of getting HIV (41%).
Most Americans are not aware of how the epidemic impacts different groups in the United States: 39% of the public knows that African Americans account for about half of all new HIV infections in the U.S.; 40% of the public knows that half of all new HIV infections each year are among young people. Even fewer are aware that women with HIV have more difficulty than men accessing care and treatment (12%).
Women’s Views Of The HIV/AIDS Epidemic
In general, women and men share similar views on key aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including the progress the U.S. has made against the epidemic, knowing someone who has HIV/AIDS and personal concern about the disease. However, women (19%) are somewhat less likely than men (24%) to name HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health problem facing the nation.
