Ever since it emerged during the early 1980s, HIV has been one of the most dreaded diseases. Fear has caused false information to circulate, thus creating prejudice against HIV carriers and AIDS patients. To shed some light on HIV and AIDS, below is a list of myths that have circulated from ignorance and panic.
1. You will not get HIV from oral sex. Although the chances of a person becoming infected with HIV is quite small, there are documented cases of HIV infection through oral sex. HIV can enter the bloodstream when the mouth has cuts and sores.
2. A woman cannot spread HIV by having a lesbian relationship. All bodily fluids, like vaginal discharges, contain HIV. When the mouth of a partner has an open sore, this could be a route for HIV to go into the blood.
3. A cure for AIDS has been invented. There is still no known cure for AIDS. The ARV or Antiretroviral medications only help by interfering with HIV duplication. It is not a cure, as this medication only helps keep the immune system healthy and functioning. Full blown AIDS will lead to certain death.
4. If you already have HIV, you don’t need to practice safe sex. If a person is HIV positive, there is a big chance that they will infect other people if they participate in unprotected sex. If both partners are HIV positive, they should also use condoms as they could get a stronger strain of HIV that is immune to Antiretroviral medications.
5. You can’t get HIV from one sexual encounter. The chances are really 80%, but that’s quite a significant percentage. All unprotected sexual encounters will put you at risk of becoming infected with HIV.
6. HIV will eventually lead to AIDS. There are cases wherein a person who has had HIV for 20 years but was never diagnosed with AIDS. The reason could be that they have a weaker strain of the virus or they were able to take medication before their CD4 cells plunged to below 200.
7. HIV and AIDS are one and the same thing. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system. AIDS is a collection of illnesses. Basically, AIDS is the fatal effect of HIV weakening the immune system.
8. HIV positive women can’t have healthy babies. There are huge risks involved in becoming pregnant, but HIV positive women can conceive. However, the baby has a good chance of contracting the disease and may have to spend a lifetime of taking medications. A Caesarean section is more advisable as it lessens the baby’s exposure to the mother’s vaginal fluids.
9. Mosquitoes can spread HIV. Mosquitoes cannot carry HIV as it does not inject a person with someone else’s blood from a previous feeding. They only inject saliva.
10. HIV can be contracted from all types of bodily fluids. To be more accurate, bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal discharge and blood can infect you with HIV. Sweat, saliva and tears do not transmit the disease as HIV is only present at very minute amounts.
wear condoms and stay safe
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