HIV/AIDS

AIDS doesn’t discriminate – people do

The latest figures from WHO and UNAIDS show that HIV infection is now the fastest growing serious health condition in England. Two generations of young people have become sexually active since the last significant national public campaign in the mid 80s. Marie Stopes International is urging the government to fund a new campaign that tackles both public awareness and addresses the stigma that still surrounds HIV/AIDS.

Research conducted for Marie Stopes International by market research company NOP World shows that 20 years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, a significant minority of British people still display prejudicial and ignorant attitudes towards the disease.

Whilst many adults have a good idea about the activities considered "high risk" for HIV transmission, some of the myths remain: for example, one in 10 (11%) thought HIV could be transmitted through kissing. The British public also do not appear to relate the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS to their own behaviour and lifestyle.

Other key findings are:

• over one quarter of adults in the UK (26%) believe that people should have the right to know who in their community has HIV/AIDS
• 41% believe asylum seekers should NOT be allowed to stay in the UK if they have HIV/AIDS
• almost one quarter (23%) believe that "drug users who contract HIV/AIDS through infected needles should not get treatment on the National Health Service"
• one fifth (21%) agree with the statement "it is people's own fault if they get HIV/AIDS"
• 17% would worry if they knew their doctor was treating people with HIV/AIDS
• A high proportion of respondents (60%) have more sympathy for a person who contracts HIV/AIDS through a blood transfusion than from having promiscuous sex.

However, the survey also revealed consistently more sympathetic attitudes to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in developing world countries than in the UK, for example, almost seven out of ten (69%) agree that rich countries should ensure that drugs to treat HIV/AIDS are cheap and available to all people in poor countries.

For more information on the survey, contact press@mariestopes.org.uk
For more information on the campaign, go to www.fashionfightsaids.org

The results of the survey are being used to help promote awareness of HIV/AIDS and the Fashion Fights AIDS campaign.

The campaign is a joint initiative between Marie Stopes International and Interact Worldwide, the centre piece of which is a publication, Women to Women: Positively Speaking, which features stunning photographs by leading photographer, Mario Testino.

Documenting the experiences of women worldwide who are living with HIV/AIDS, the project is supported by US fashion designer, Kenneth Cole, and human rights activist, Bianca Jagger, and backed by the United Nations Population Fund.

The campaign is one of many HIV/AIDS initiatives from Marie Stopes International global partnership. Drawing on its extensive experience in a variety of settings, the partnership focuses on prevention as the cornerstone of its response to HIV/AIDS and is ideally placed to contribute to a co-ordinated, national and international response to improve HIV/AIDS prevention.
Although the response from each Partner within the Partnership differs according to local need, a range of activities is being undertaken which contribute to the prevention of HIV/AIDS at the grassroots level. This includes:

• information, education and communication activities: for example the production of leaflets, posters, dramas and videos aimed specifically at men, youth, vulnerable and marginalised groups
• condom distribution
• contraceptive social marketing
• voluntary confidential counselling and testing (VCCT)
• STI/RTI prevention, treatment, and counselling regarding AIDS
• referring clients on to AIDS organisations for support, help


At a national level, many Partners also have links with HIV/AIDS organisations and liaise with the ministry(ies) with responsibility for AIDS co-ordination.