EPIDEMIC – The deterioration is confirmed. A few days before Sidaction 2022, the association publishes the results of a survey carried out each year by Ifop among 15-24 year olds. Verdict: due to the Covid crisisthe feeling of misinformation about HIV/AIDS continues.
“The feeling of information among 15-24 year olds has declined since the start of the pandemic and to date we have not returned to pre-Covid levels. As if the pandemic had obscured knowledge about HIV/AIDS” worries Florence Thune, general manager of Sidactionin a press release.
The figures speak for themselves: in 2022, 69% of young people in France consider themselves well informed on the issue of HIV/AIDS. In 2020, they were 74%, a drop of 5 points in 2 years. Last September, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis already estimated that the Covid had had a “devastating impact” on the fight against these diseases.
Less screening
Less than one in two respondents consider themselves well informed about where to go to get tested for the VIH / pagea figure in free fall since February 2019. “Despite the habit of screening acquired with COVID, the latter does not seem to have become a reflex for HIV, whereas it constitutes an essential tool for prevention” continues Florence Thune .
The trivialization of the issue of HIV/AIDS is confirmed. 37% of young people surveyed say they are not afraid of it, even though their knowledge of the epidemic sometimes seems distorted: 40% think that infections are decreasing among young people and half of those surveyed believe that people living with HIV are not discriminated against .
One of the explanations lies in the saturation of media spaces and the monopolization of subjects by the Covid. “HIV is moving away from the concerns of young people because it has been invisible for several years. 16% of people questioned also declare that they do not seek information on the AIDS virus, an increase of 7 points in 2 years” explains Frédéric Dabi, General Manager Opinion of the Ifop Group.
Misconceptions and misinformation
Preconceived ideas and false information related to HIV/AIDS continue to flourish: 23% of respondents think that the AIDS virus can be transmitted by kissing an HIV-positive person and another 19% think that the emergency contraceptive pill protects against HIV.
Only 48% of young people questioned are aware of the existence of emergency treatment (TPE) if a risk is incurred and half of the respondents do not know that an HIV-positive person on treatment with an undetectable viral load does not transmit the virus. .
Prevention in a school context
According to Sidaction, actions to prevent and raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and sexual health among 15-24 year olds must be carried out in the school context. According to the survey, a quarter of respondents said they had never received any education in sexual health during their schooling.
“Throughout France, sexuality education, although provided for by National Education, is not sufficiently implemented, which was denounced in particular by the Defender of Rights”, estimated in December in our columns Jean Spirivice-president of the Regional center for information and prevention of AIDS and for the health of young people (CRIPS) Île-de-France.
Same observation at Sidaction: “Three sexuality education sessions per year are compulsory according to the texts, but in practice their implementation is insufficient” deplores Florence Thune.
See also on The HuffPost: Against AIDS, they “illegally” distributed self-tests