People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are often subject to blame, fear and avoidance, particularly if they are perceived as personally responsible for their infection due to their risky behaviour or life style choices. Some people however, react to PLWHA with sympathy and a willingness to care. This paper explores how university students (n = 282) perceive different types of PLWHA, in terms of how comfortable it is to be in contact with them. Students were most sympathetic towards children with HIV/AIDS, and felt most discomfort with intravenous drug users and prostitutes. Bi- and homosexuals with HIV/AIDS were mostly positively perceived, while many respondents had difficulties in expressing an opinion on haemorrhagic disease patients. Discomfort was associated with a fear of infection, unwillingness to care for PLWHA and an ignorance of HIV/AIDS. Women and older students tended to fear infection less than men and younger students. We conclude that although over time the perception of PLWHA has improved, there is still a need for enlightenment, particularly with respect to the most vulnerable groups such as intravenous drug users, haemorrhagic disease patients and prostitutes.