New GLAAD report shows drops in HIV knowledge despite medical progress

GLAAD has released the findings of its sixth annual State of HIV Stigma Report, created in partnership with Gilead Sciences. The 2026 survey revealed a widening gap between scientific advancements in HIV treatment and awareness of these advances. 

According to the report, 44% of Americans do not believe the scientific fact that when HIV is undetectable, it is untransmittable. Forty-nine percent of adults reported feeling knowledgeable about HIV, a small decrease from 50% in 2020. This decrease is wider among Gen Z, 31% of whom reported feeling knowledgeable about HIV compared to 38% in 2020. 

Americans are also less comfortable interacting with someone living with HIV in every area than they were in 2024. 

“Americans need accurate information, authentic stories, and policies that reflect today’s realities about living with HIV and the huge advancements in prevention and treatment,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “This report should be a call to action for media, public health leaders, policymakers, and advocates to ensure that the way we talk about HIV catches up with what science has already made possible. Ending HIV will require all of us to choose truth over misinformation, visibility over silence, and facts over fear.”

Most Americans recognize the stigma around HIV, with 82% agreeing the stigma exists, but this number has also dropped from 89% in 2020. 

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The report also found that HIV visibility was low across media. Seventy-two percent reported having not seen stories featuring real people living with HIV in the media over the past year, and 70% said they hadn’t seen any depictions of people living with HIV in television or film. 

The full 2026 State of HIV Stigma Report can be read on GLAAD’s website.

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