How close is too close?: The negative relationship between knowledge of HIV transmission routes and social distancing tendencies

Abstract Data measuring respondents’ knowledge of HIV's transmission routes was obtained via a statewide RDD sample of 603 Nevadans to determine if disease knowledge influences respondent efforts to socially and physically distance themselves from a hypothetical HIV-positive person. Four separate dependent variables (scenarios) are created in which the geographic distance between the respondent and a hypothetical HIV-positive person decreases; while, at the same time, physical personal contact, or potential for contact, increases. Findings show 84.2% of the respondents had sufficient knowledge of HIV transmission routes, and the majority felt comfortable across all four social scenarios. However, multiple logistic regression analyses indicate that respondents with sufficient knowledge of how HIV is transmitted are significantly more comfortable with casual social interactions than those respondents with insufficient knowledge. The results from this study confirm the importance of HIV-knowledge as a tool to combat AIDS-related stigma.