Many 'still ignorant about HIV'

Terry Higgins died from an Aids-related illness in1982। There is still widespread ignorance about HIV,particularly among young people, research hassuggested. A survey by the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trustfound more than 20% of people aged 18 to 24 mistakenlythought there was a cure for HIV. Among the same age group almost a quarter believedcondoms have holes in them which let HIV through. And more than one in ten young people thought thevirus could be passed through kissing. This is only a theoretical risk, and possible only ifboth parties have open sores, cuts or bleeding gumswhich bleed into each other. There has only been onesuspected case of HIV being passed on in this way. The lack of good sex education means many youngpeople are leaving school ignorant about HIV and safersex Nick PartridgeTerrence Higgins Trust The poll of 1,000 adults was carried out to mark 25years since the death of Terry Higgins, whose battlewith Aids inspired friends and colleagues to set upthe charity. The results showed that ignorance about the virus werenot confined to the younger age group. Across all age groups, 28% of people either thoughtthat condoms had holes in which let HIV through, orsaid they did not know. Twelve percent thought that sharing cutlery carried arisk of HIV transmission, and 10% thought you can beinfected through sweat. Only one in three people who were surveyed said theythought they had received good sex education atschool. Much confusion Nick Partridge, chief executive of Terrence HigginsTrust, said: "It's frightening that 25 years afterTerry Higgins' death, this level of confusion exists. "The lack of good sex education means many youngpeople are leaving school ignorant about HIV and safersex. "HIV is now the fastest growing serious healthcondition in the UK, and there is no cure. It's timeto get our facts straight." Terry Higgins was among the first people to die froman Aids-related illness in the UK. Since his death in 1982, more than 17,000 others havedied from Aids-related diseases and there are now morethan 70,000 people living with HIV in the UK. More people than ever before were newly diagnosed withHIV in 2006. Groups most at risk of HIV in the UK continue to begay men and the African community. Anti-retroviral drugs can keep HIV in check for mostpeople who take them. But there is growing concern that the drugs willbecome increasingly ineffective, as HIV - which canchange its structure with astonishing speed - evolvesways to combat their action.