Overall, HIV/AIDS is a concern to many in the United States, both as a personal concern and as a problem facing the nation. In 2006, 17% of the public name HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health problem facing the nation, a share that declined dramatically between 1995 and 2002, but has remained relatively stable since then. Fifteen percent of the public in 2006 say they are personally very concerned about becoming infected with HIV, and another 14% say they are somewhat concerned. Views on the nation’s progress in the area of HIV/AIDS are somewhat mixed. In 2006, four in ten people say the United States is making progress on the problem of HIV/AIDS, while about three in ten say we are losing ground, and just over one in five say the problem is about the same.

African Americans and Latinos have been particularly hard hit by the HIV epidemic in the U.S., and this impact appears to be reflected in their views and perceptions about the disease. African Americans and Latinos express more concern about the epidemic than their white counterparts, both on a personal and a national level, and they are also more likely than whites to say that the problem of HIV/AIDS has gotten worse in their local communities in recent years. In addition, African Americans are much more likely than whites or Latinos to say the country is losing ground when it comes to the problem of HIV/AIDS.

The public is generally supportive of federal spending on HIV/AIDS, and public opinion data indicate that support for such spending has increased in recent years. Whether the question is asked about HIV/AIDS spending in general, or about HIV/AIDS spending in relation to spending on other diseases, larger shares say that such spending is too low than say it is too high or about right. Between 2004 and 2006, the share saying the federal government spends too little money on HIV/AIDS in general increased from 52% to 63%, and the share saying spending on HIV/AIDS is too low compared with other diseases increased from 42% to 48%.

In 2006, most Americans are optimistic that spending more money on HIV prevention and testing in the U.S. will make a difference, with about six in ten say that spending more on both HIV/AIDS prevention and testing will lead to meaningful progress, compared with about three in ten saying such spending won’t make much difference.

For more information about public opinion on HIV/AIDS, see:

Attitudes About Stigma and Discrimination Related to HIV/AIDS
http://www.kff.org/spotlight/hivstigma/index.cfm

Public Opinion on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic
http://www.kff.org/spotlight/hivglobal/index.cfm

The Public's Experiences with and Attitudes about HIV Testing
http://www.kff.org/spotlight/hivtest/index.cfm

The Public's Knowledge and Perceptions About HIV/AIDS
http://www.kff.org/spotlight/hiv/index.cfm

Download this Spotlight