In 2006, nearly seven in ten (67%) Americans agree that the U.S. should address problems at home before spending more money to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in other countries. At the same time, a similar share (60%) of the public agrees that the U.S. is a global leader and has a responsibility to spend more money to help fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in developing countries. When forced to choose which statement they agree with more, a majority (55%) say the U.S. should address problems at home first, while about one-third (34%) say the U.S. is a global leader and has a responsibility to spend more on the global epidemic.

Views on this question have changed somewhat since 2002, when Americans were more likely to agree that the U.S. should address problems at home first, and less likely to say the U.S. is a global leader and has a responsibility to spend more the help fight HIV/AIDS in developing countries.