40% of poll takers don't believe AIDs is fatal

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a nine-country survey released today, more than 40 percent of respondents did not understand that AIDS is always a fatal disease.

The survey from the MAC AIDS Fund, a philanthropy set up by Estee Lauder-owned MAC cosmetics, involved 4,510 interviews conducted in the US, UK, Russia, France, China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa. The release of the findings coincides with a Fund board meeting and comes in advance of World AIDS Day on December 1.

"The strength of the survey lies in its exclusive focus on issues related to AIDS, its span of nine countries and the fact that it poses frank, specific questions at a time when we need frank, specific answers to increase the effectiveness of our global response to the epidemic," Nancy Mahon, Executive Director of the MAC AIDS Fund, told Reuters Health.

While most respondents believed that AIDS is always a fatal illness, many wrongly believed that a cure for HIV infection is available. For instance, 59 percent of Indians believed that a cure is available. In France, older adults were more likely than younger people to believe that the disease is curable. In the US, African-Americans were more likely than whites to think there is a cure.


More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071113/hl_nm/aids_survey_dc
Response: Unfreakin'lievable!! are you kidding me!? Is this some sick sadistic joke poking fun at the intellect of people, like they do on the Jay Leno Show. It's hard to believe that 40% percent of a nine country survey believe that if you get AIDs...it's all good....Wow!! I need to see the by country breakdown of this survey.....