Information Bulletin No.41

Understanding of AIDS Spreads

September 27, 1995

More than four out of five people in Japan believe that discrimination against people with AIDS should not be tolerated. This was the finding of a public opinion poll conducted by the Prime Minister's Office in May, and it shows that understanding toward people with AIDS and HIV has increased markedly over the past few years.
The survey was conducted on 10,000 men and women aged 20 years or over, and valid responses were obtained from 73.5% of the respondents. It is the third survey taken to date, the earlier polls being conducted in 1987 and 1991.
Asked if they had heard of AIDS, 96.0% of respondents said they had. When queried as what they would do if their spouses were found to be HIV-positive, 56.3% said they would continue living as before--a twofold increase over the 27.4% registered in the previous survey. The share of those who said they would continue living together but use separate facilities fell to 19.8% from 32.7% in the 1991 poll.
Those who said they will live apart fell from 11.6% to 4.3%, moreover, and those claiming they will seek a divorce fell from 4.6% to 1.8%.
Asked what they would do if someone close to them were to contract HIV, a majority of 55.5% said they would maintain the same relationship as before--a twofold jump, again, from the 27.7% who made this response in the previous survey.

Saying No to Discrimination

For the first time, the survey asked respondents if they agreed with the statement that society's prejudice and discrimination against people with AIDS and HIV should not be tolerated. Some 82.5% said they agreed, with 46.7% saying they strongly agreed and another 35.7% saying they more or less agreed. Only 9.4% said they disagreed, with 7.4% saying they more or less disagreed and 2.1% saying they strongly disagreed.
As to whether people with AIDS and HIV should quit their jobs, 66.3% said there is no need to quit since AIDS cannot be transmitted through ordinary human contact. Just 15.2% felt that resignation was inevitable for fear that other people might contract HIV.
Opinion was split, however, regarding people who contracted AIDS from prostitutes, with 41.2% saying it cannot be helped if they should be subjected to criticism or discrimination, and 37.5% insisting that they should not be criticized or discriminated against. Another 15.9% claimed they could not say either way.
Asked to name one or more countermeasures that were necessary to combat AIDS, 74.3% selected enhanced research into and the development of a vaccine and effective treatments, followed by 71.2% who cited dissemination of correct information, 38.7% who named improved consultation facilities, and 34.7% who named the protection of privacy of people with AIDS and HIV.

(The above article, edited by Japan Echo Inc., is based on domestic Japanese news sources. It is offered for reference purposes and does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.)