Let’s talk HIV and HIV stigma in the U.S. South.
Last week, GLAAD published its findings from the annual State of HIV Stigma Report. The 5th annual report, created and produced by GLAAD’s Communities of Color department in partnership with the Gilead COMPASS Initiative®, is the only one of its kind and aims to track Americans’ knowledge, attitudes and sentiment around HIV and HIV stigma.
Today, PrEP, a medication that can prevent HIV infection in people who feel they are at high risk of getting it HIV do not yet have HIV, can now reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by 99%.
Even with these major advancements in HIV prevention and treatment, transmission does continue, particularly among LGBTQ communities of color. The most recent statistics from the CDC show gay and bi men accounted for 70% of new infections in the U.S. in 2021, with the highest number among Black and Latine gay and bisexual men. 25% of new HIV infections were among Black gay and bi men, 22% among Latino gay and bi men, and 44% among gay and bi men under the age of 35. Trans people were 2.5% of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S.
Further, while there are 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with HIV and 13% are estimated to not even know they have HIV, proper HIV treatment can suppress the virus to the point where it is no longer detectable and therefore untransmittable through sex.
For Americans in the U.S. South, they continue to face the brunt of this disease. In fact, GLAAD’s research found that the South accounts for more than half (52%) of new HIV diagnoses in the United States.
In addition to tracking attitudes surrounding HIV and HIV stigma, GLAAD’s State of HIV Stigma broadens the understanding of comfortability, media exposure, and trends related to HIV stigma.
While HIV stigma is not a thing of the past, we are beginning to now see the efforts of GLAAD along with grassroots organizations begin to bear fruit, when it comes to increasing comfortability around people with HIV. This is why
GLAAD’s 2024 State of HIV Stigma also revealed that comfortability interacting with a doctor, dentist, or medical professional living with HIV has increased since 2020.
Additionally, only about half of Americans living in the South feel knowledgable about HIV.
There has also been a significant decline in the belief that stigma around HIV still exists over five years in the Southern U.S., from 87% in 2020 to 82% in 2024.
Finally, there has also been a significant decrease in Americans in the South who feel that people living with HIV can lead long, healthy lives today, from 89% in 2020 to 82% in 2024.
For the first time in five years, GLAAD’s State of HIV Stigma report found a statistically significant decline of HIV stigma in the U.S., with 85% of Americans saying they believe HIV stigma exists, down from 89% in 2020.
Additionally, GLAAD’s report found that the loss of HIV stories in entertainment media is a deafening silence, likely contributing to decreases in comfortability in interacting with a neighbor or co-worker living with HIV.
GLAAD research also showed that seeing stories of people living with HIV drives up the comfortability of interacting with people living with HIV by as much as +15%. This is the power of accelerating acceptance and combating HIV stigma, through visibility and representation in entertainment media.
Regarding the State of HIV Stigma, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis stated that, “The state of HIV stigma in America could not be more clear: stigma is finally on the decline, and now is the time to accelerate the education that can save lives, through sharing stories of people living with HIV. Today, nearly 90% of Americans say they know at least a little about HIV. Together with game-changing HIV prevention tools like PrEP and advanced HIV treatment options, we must seize the opportunity before us to close the knowledge gap between generations. GLAAD’s core work to eradicate HIV stigma and misinformation in media is more urgent than ever. Ending HIV and HIV stigma should be every generation’s lasting achievement, and we have never been closer to that accomplishment.”
GLAAD’s 2024 State of HIV Stigma Report was created and produced by GLAAD’s Communities of Color department, part of GLAAD Media Institute, GLAAD’s training, research and consulting division. Learn more at GLAAD.org/Institute and support GLAAD’s work here.