ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the state of the population’s knowledge of HIV transmission and means of protection. It reviews the state of adults’ knowledge of HIV transmission and means of protection in Europe, country by country. A higher level of information is necessary because while improved knowledge about disease does not lead automatically to the adoption of risk-reducing behaviour, ignorance is even less a guarantee of low-risk behaviour. Moreover, the role of people who serve as vectors of incorrect representations of the disease in communication chains must not be neglected. The degree of knowledge both of how the virus is transmitted and means of protection is tied to level of education. Three different types of situations stand out clearly with regard to HIV transmission: the medically correct response rate is statistically lower for women when the risks of transmission via mosquito bites, using public toilets, and giving blood are mentioned. Of all three situations public toilets yields the clearest trend.
