30 Nov 2018 15:54

Tolerance to HIV-positive people in Russia growing - VCIOM

MOSCOW. Nov 30 (Interfax) - The overwhelming majority (89%) of Russians believe assistance should be provided to people living with AIDS, and the share of Russians who have a tolerant attitude to HIV-positive persons has increased almost twofold in the past 14 years, according to a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM).

It said 89% of respondents said that assistance should be provided to people living with AIDS. Only 5% suggested that such people be isolated from society.

Russians' attitudes in this area have become more tolerant, according to VCIOM.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said it is not an issue to be the neighbor of a person carrying the virus; in 2005, that number was 38%, it said.

According to VCIOM, the share of people who have no objection to caring for people with HIV has increased to 57% from 29% in 2005. Fifty percent of respondents said they would have no problem working with people with HIV (33% in 2005).

According to half of Russians (53%), the share of infected persons in Russia is between 1 and 10% of the population, 24% of those polled said it is between 1 and 5%, and 22% said it is 6 to 10%. Nearly a third (29%) said it is over 10%, and only 7% said it is "less than 1%" of citizens, which corresponds to the latest official data, VCIOM said.

The nationwide poll was of 1,600 respondents over the age of 18 was conducted on November 28.