New York, New York – Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 – GLAAD released the findings of its fifth annual State of HIV Stigma Report. The Report, which remains the only report of its kind to track Americans’ knowledge, attitudes and sentiment around HIV and HIV stigma.
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, our 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 shows 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.
Key findings:
There has been a significant reduction in the belief that stigma around HIV still exists over five years, from 89% in 2020 to 85% in 2024.
Knowledge of HIV remains stable in the U.S. and in the Southern U.S. over the last five years, with nearly 90% of Americans reporting they know at least a little about HIV, with half of Americans feeling knowledgeable.
Gen Z continues to be among the least knowledgeable generations about HIV. Only 37% of Gen Z adults are knowledgeable about HIV, on par with five years ago.
The following areas have seen declines over the last five years of our tracking:We’ve seen a significant decrease in the belief that everyone should get tested for HIV, from 77% in 2020 to 67% in 2024. This decline is seen across all regions of the country.
And we’ve seen a significant decrease in the belief that people living with HIV can live long, healthy lives, from 90% in 2020 to 85% in 2024. The Southern U.S. is the only region to see a significant decline here as well.
GLAAD’s Where We Are on TV study showed only one LGBTQ character in primetime scripted broadcast, cable or streaming programming living with HIV in the most recent television season, and is not expected to return.
There has also been a significant decrease year over year in Americans seeing people living with HIV in TV or film, from 39% in 2023 to 35% in 2024.
Seeing stories of people living with HIV increases comfortability with people living with HIV in various scenarios in life by up to +15%.
From GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis:“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.”