Many Americans Have Become Complacent about HIV

Too many Americans no longer view HIV as a serious concern. A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the percentage of Americans who rank HIV as a major health problem is substantially lower than it was a decade ago.¹⁶ Even more troubling are studies showing that among some of the populations with the highest rates of infection (including gay and bisexual men and African Americans), many individuals do not recognize their risk or believe HIV is no longer a serious health threat.^{16, 17}

Each new generation needs to be reminded of the still-serious nature of HIV and the importance of prevention. Three decades after CDC reported the first cases of AIDS, the sense of national crisis may have waned – but our resolve cannot.