The stigma and prejudice against people living with HIV continue to be deeply rooted. To say it is a new international survey made known today on the occasion of World AIDS Day. Backed by ViiV Healthcare, a global HIV company with a majority of GlaxoSmithKline Plc (Gsk) in partnership with Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi Limited, the survey reveals that 88% of respondents believe that people with HIV are still perceived negatively. although now the infection can be effectively managed with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). And it is worrying that almost a third (30%) of the people interviewed still believe, wrongly, that the infection can be transmitted by kissing.
The survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll – reports a note – surveyed 5,047 adults in four countries, Australia, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. The data revealed that over three quarters (76%) of the adults who responded are unaware that a person with HIV who is taking effective treatment cannot pass the virus to their partners because the level of the virus is undetectable in the blood. In this sense, in recent years, an extremely large number of clinical evidence has firmly established that the concept Undetectable = Untransmittable (U = U) (undetectable = non-transmissible) is scientifically valid, however prejudices and stereotypes about HIV continue to to exist.
The survey – underlines the note – reinforces the importance of campaigns against stigma such as ‘Hiv in View’, born from the collaboration between ViiV Healthcare and Shutterstock Studios with the aim of creating the largest online photo library of people living with Hiv, through high-impact images that portray in an authentic and realistic way what it means today to live with the infection. Far from reflecting the fear once associated with HIV, the gallery is full of examples that give insight into how and how much life has changed for many HIV-positive people.
“Over the past four decades we have seen tremendous progress in the HIV response and yet, as this new survey clearly demonstrates, there are still many misconceptions about HIV,” said Silvia Petretti, CEO of Positively UK, a charity run by HIV positive people who aims to improve the health and quality of life of infected people. “I am proud to have taken part in the ‘Hiv in View’ photographic project, to show that people can lead fully satisfying and healthy lives. I hope it helps to understand the reality of living with HIV and remove the bias that emerges from the survey results “.
“Oggi in Italy there are about 130 thousand people living with HIV, and most of them live in a situation of invisibility and discrimination. Despite the enormous scientific achievements, we people with HIV are confronted daily with an imaginary that remained stuck in the 90s “, comments Daniele Calzavara, coordinator of the Milano Check Point association.
“The Italian situation – he complains – is no different from that of Australia, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. We work very hard in our daily work to combat stigma and prejudice when people interact with us at Milano Check Point. , for a periodic check or because they think they have had a relationship at risk. The concept Undetectable = Untransmittable (U = U) is not yet well understood by the general population, but we will never stop spreading this revolutionary message, which frees people with HIV has been a burden that has been unsustainable for too many years, as is clearly evident from the ‘Hiv in View’ initiative ”.
“The HIV community has made great strides in addressing the stigma and prejudice that still surround people living with HIV, but it is alarming to see the level of misunderstanding and preconceptions highlighted by this new survey,” says Deborah Waterhouse, Chief Executive Officer, ViiV Healthcare. “We often hear from the HIV community that interactions with friends, family, the general public and even healthcare professionals are sometimes difficult due to misinformation, misconceptions and prejudices. Our hope is that through anti-stigma campaigns such as HIV in View, we can change the way the world views HIV so that we can one day permanently erase this pervasive stigma. “
“Our commitment alongside people with HIV is wide-ranging: putting our efforts to help promote a social context in which people with HIV can feel less discriminated against and can live more peacefully – comments Maurizio Amato, General Manager of ViiV Italy and Holland – is a fundamental part of our culture that we want more and more inclusive. Stigma, like the virus that kills cells, is equally dangerous, as it destabilizes and kills a person’s will to live well, especially after a diagnosis of Hiv. Initiatives such as ‘Hiv in view’ are therefore welcome, which offer us important food for thought also with regard to our country “.
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