MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. The majority of Russians are sure that genetically modified food is harmful, know the danger of HIV and believe that vaccination is an effective tool to shun infections, according to a poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, which TASS obtained on Tuesday.
According to the poll, 79% of respondents believe that genetically modified food is extremely harmful to human health, but this information is hidden from consumers. In particular, 84% of people with a high-school education believe it, whereas those who did not graduate from school talk much less about it (71%). One in 10 respondents (12%) said that products containing GMOs are safe for one’s health, with over 20% of them being people with an incomplete secondary education.
As many as 78% of Russians know that HIV is a dangerous virus that cannot be fully cured. Just 8% said that many people have it and that it does not affect the body’s condition in any way. The largest portion among them (12%) consisted of high-school educated people. Another 5% are sure that "HIV does not exist and was invented intentionally."
The poll results show that 72% of citizens believe vaccination to be an effective way to avoid infections. This statement was the most frequent among college-educated people (75%), while those who did not graduate from school agreed to it less frequently (63%). As many as 14% of respondents believe vaccination to be useless, and one in 10 respondents (9%) stick to the opinion that vaccination is dangerous.
The poll involved 2,000 Russians aged over 18 and was conducted from May 29 to 30.