Most Americans have not seen HIV stories in media: GLAAD
Most Americans have not seen stories about people living with HIV in media over the past year, according to GLAAD's sixth annual State of HIV Stigma report. The advocacy group says 72% of adults report no such coverage in the last 12 months, up from 66% in 2024, raising fresh concern for TV and film.
Key Takeaways
- 72% of Americans say they have not seen stories featuring real people living with HIV in media in the past 12 months, up from 66% in 2024.
- 70% report seeing no depictions of people living with HIV in television or film over the past year.
- GLAAD's Where We Are on TV data found only one LGBTQ character living with HIV in the 2024-2025 season, and that character is not returning.
- Among 225 major studio films from 10 top distributors, only "Fairyland" featured a character living with HIV, set in the early epidemic years.
- 79% of Americans recognize HIV stigma; 44% do not believe Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U).
What did GLAAD's new HIV stigma report find?
GLAAD reported Thursday that visibility of people living with HIV remains strikingly low across entertainment and news platforms. In the sixth annual State of HIV Stigma report, created with Gilead Sciences and produced by the GLAAD Media Institute, researchers track how often audiences encounter authentic HIV stories.
Beyond the 72% figure for real-person stories, the study found 70% of Americans have not seen any depictions of people living with HIV in television or film over the past year. That share rose from 65% in 2024 and 61% in 2023. Just 15% report seeing such a story on social media in the past year, and only 0.09% of podcast episodes analyzed mentioned HIV.
According to HIV.gov, about 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, and 13% do not know their status—facts GLAAD cites to underscore why testing and stigma reduction still matter.
Why does missing HIV representation on TV and film matter?
GLAAD argues that when the public sees people living with HIV lead long, successful lives, it can encourage comfort with testing and treatment. The report warns that entertainment is not reflecting modern realities of HIV as a treatable, preventable condition.
On scripted television, GLAAD's Where We Are on TV research counted only one LGBTQ character living with HIV during the 2024-2025 season, and that character will not return. In theatrical film, a sweep of 225 major studio titles from 10 top distributors turned up just one example: "Fairyland," which is set in the early days of the epidemic rather than today's treatment era.
For more streaming and TV alerts on how coverage and casting trends shape what audiences see, BlasterPost continues to track entertainment and culture news.
How widespread is HIV stigma—and what is U=U?
Other findings show awareness of harm without matching scientific literacy. Some 79% of Americans recognize that people living with HIV face stigma and discrimination. About 77% say stigma can discourage HIV testing, and 73% say it can discourage seeking treatment.
Treatment can suppress HIV so the virus is no longer detected. Yet 44% of Americans do not believe that when the virus is undetectable, it is not sexually transmittable—the principle known as Undetectable=Untransmittable, or U=U.
GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said Americans need accurate information, authentic stories, and policies that reflect today's prevention and treatment advances. She called the report a call to action for media, public health leaders, policymakers, and advocates to choose visibility and facts over silence and fear. Full findings are available via Variety's coverage and at glaad.org.