AEGiS-06IAC: Survey results on how tolerant, caring and compassionate Canadians are towards those most affected by AIDS.

6th International AIDS Conference

San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

Survey results on how tolerant, caring and compassionate Canadians are towards those most affected by AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:337 (abstract no. Th.D.844)
Garceau S; Health Promotion Directorate, Health & Welfare Canada, Ottawa, Canada

OBJECTIVE: To determine the degree of care, compassion, and tolerance Canadians have towards people most directly affected by AIDS.

METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used with a small (N=200), selective sample of: the general population, PLWA, HIV+, gay and bisexual men, IV drug users, street youth, sex trade workers and caregivers. Many of the interviews were conducted by trained AIDS volunteers. Respondents were asked about their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding AIDS, their fears and misconceptions, their social proximity to people affected by the disease, their reaction to scenarios designed to assess degrees of care, tolerance and compassion, and where appropriate, their experience of discrimination. Data was analyzed with a mixture of content analysis, descriptive statistics and selective multivariate techniques.

RESULTS: Care, tolerance and compassion varied by region, sex and social proximity, with women and those who know people affected by AIDS being the most tolerant, notwithstanding the general prevalence of homophobia. Knowledge levels were high yet there was widespread mistrust of the information. Overt acts of discrimination were rare; there was evidence that people chose not to expose themselves to people and situations where discrimination might occur. Few people felt it was safe to be open about being gay or having AIDS at work.

CONCLUSIONS: Those who are most affected by AIDS are indirectly but powerfully affected by intolerance and hostility which has an adverse impact on their lives. Women may be the cornerstone in the development of a more caring, tolerant and compassionate country.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Data Collection, Empathy, HIV Infections, Homosexuality, Male, Bisexuality, Prejudice, Caregivers, HIV Seropositivity, Substance Abuse, Intravenous, Fear, Public Opinion, Interviews, Attitude, Prevalence, Canada, North America, Human, Female, Male, ICA6

900620
ThD844