11 janvier 2026

December 1 – World AIDS Day

Boîte de traitement préventif PrEP avec des préservatifs, illustrant la prévention du VIH

Matériel de prévention : PrEP et préservatifs utilisés dans les actions d’information et d’accompagnement

Sida Info Service: “It’s not an AI answering, it’s a human” – and that’s what saves lives

Sida Info Service: “It’s not an AI answering, it’s a human” – and that’s what saves lives

As public services increasingly replace human voices with chatbots and automated platforms, Sida Info Service boldly rejects that trend: when it comes to HIV prevention, what truly protects lives is human connection. The 2024 figures speak for themselves: the association handled 88,287 meaningful calls or chats, including 52,640 specifically about HIV. Behind each call or chat is a person facing fear, risk, doubt — a situation where no artificial intelligence, however advanced, could ever replace a real human being.

“No AI — just human at the other end of the line”

That tagline isn’t marketing fluff. It’s an ethical commitment and a public-health strategy.

  • 64% of HIV-related contacts were handled by phone — because nothing replaces the sound of a human voice, the hesitations, the fear.

  • 29% via Live Chat, each time with a real trained operator.

  • 6% by email.

Most callers are men (82%), aged 25–39 (52%), and 35% come from Île-de-France. What distinguishes a human operator: the ability to ask the right intimate questions, sense urgency, and immediately guide to appropriate care — be it a free lab test, CeGIDD, rapid screening, or emergency PEP within 48 hours.

Real emergencies — no AI could handle them

Among people who believe they are HIV-negative or don’t know their status:

  • 55% of contacts ask: “Could I really be at risk?”

  • 32% wonder: “Where and when should I get tested?”

  • Among treatment-related questions: 55% concern PEP, 39% PrEP.

Operators don’t give generic answers. They turn fear into a clear action plan.

Nearly 400 people in 2024 were guided toward “VIH Test”, a program that offers free, no-prescription HIV testing — a resource still too little known.

On the ground too — humans first

Sida Info Service doesn’t just answer calls. In 2024, its teams carried out 1,013 outreach actions, achieving 402 rapid tests, targeting marginalized populations: homeless people, people in precarious situations, nightlife attendees, festival-goers.
No automated kiosk. Just professionals on the field, meeting people who would never otherwise get tested.

A voice you can trust — from the Director

“Put all the algorithms of the world: a machine will never replace the empathy, listening, and responsiveness of a trained human being. HIV-prevention is first and foremost a relationship of trust, built in seconds.”
— Dr Arame Mbodje, Director of Sida Info Service

Young people under 25 are increasingly using the Live Chat (43% in 2024). The numbers are clear: when support stays human — it saves lives.

©2025 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

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