Only a third of Scots would be comfortable kissing someone with HIV, according to new research released to coincide with the first major TV advert since the falling tombstone campaign of the 1980s.
Campaigners say the lack of knowledge and ongoing stigma about the infection is now more harmful than the disease itself.
With an early diagnosis and effective treatments, most people with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) will not develop any AIDS-related illnesses and will live a near-normal lifespan.
Drugs are available that suppress levels of HIV in the blood to undetectable levels, which means the immune system is protected from damage and it cannot be passed on to partners.
The first major new TV advert since the UK Government’s ‘Don’t Die of Ignorance’ campaign will be aired on STV tonight to provide a "decades overdue update" on treatment advances, according to the Terrence Higgins Trust.
It will air at 7:58pm, shortly before Coronation Street as part of a wider campaign on billboards, newspapers and online.
The film is informed by Scottish Government-funded research by the sexual health charity which found "worryingly" low levels of knowledge about HIV.
Only a third (35%) of people in Scotland said they would be happy to kiss someone living with HIV, despite it being known since the 1980s that HIV can’t be passed on through saliva.
READ MORE: Scotland to pilot world's first HIV prevention service
Research involving 1000 Scottish adults also shows almost half (46%) would be ashamed to tell other people they were HIV positive and just a third were aware that people living with HIV and on effective treatment can’t pass it on to partners.
The film draws on the real experiences of people living with HIV in Scotland, including a father pulling his hand away after his daughter says she’s positive and a nurse putting on a second pair of gloves during a hospital appointment.
Last year, the number of heterosexuals newly diagnosed with HIV was higher than in gay and bisexual men in Scotland for the first time in 15 years, according to the latest data from Public Health Scotland.
The film was produced by award-winning Scottish agency Stand, which was behind Police Scotland’s high-profile ‘Don’t Be That Guy’ campaign to reframe the conversation on sexual violence and male sexual entitlement.
READ MORE: Agenda: Working towards a world without HIV
Emma McAnally, a 34-year-old woman living with HIV from Glasgow, said: “HIV hasn’t limited my hopes and aspirations in any way, but the stigma has been the single biggest barrier of my diagnosis.
“Unfortunately, this stigma deeply affected me, my family and friends didn’t know how to respond and it was pretty horrific for me.
READ MORE: Health board leaked data of likely HIV patients
"Eventually, I became determined not to let that shame define me – having children was the biggest turning point for me as I became so confident in my body and by being on effective treatment, knew I could give birth to my son and daughter and they would be HIV negative.
"It’s incredible to see a long overdue TV advert on the reality of HIV in 2023 and how stigma is now more harmful than the virus itself. I hope it helps people living with HIV who are struggling to come to terms with their diagnosis feel a little bit less alone and also educates and raises awareness.”
Richard Angell, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “The Government’s AIDS awareness advert in the 1980s undoubtedly saved lives, but it also cast a long shadow by terrifying a generation about HIV.
“Our new film is based on the direct experiences of people living with HIV in Scotland who shared how much of a challenge the stigma still surrounding HIV is in their day-to-day lives. In hospital, on dating apps and even in their own homes."
Jenni Minto, Public Health Minister for Scottish Government, added: “Forty years ago, an HIV diagnosis was regarded as a death sentence – today people with the virus are able to live long, happy and healthy lives thanks to effective treatment."
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