For nearly 30 years, HIV/AIDS have been shrouded in
myths and misconceptions. In some cases, these mistaken ideas have prompted the
very behaviors that cause more people to become HIV-positive.
Although unanswered questions about HIV remain,
researchers have learned a great deal. Here are the top ten myths about HIV,
along with the facts to dispute them.
This is NOT
true. HIV is NOT spread through
bodily contacts with infected people. You cannot catch HIV by:
·
Breathing the same air as someone who is HIV-positive
·
Touching a toilet seat or doorknob handle after an HIV-positive
person
·
Hugging or shaking hands with someone who is HIV-positive
·
Sharing eating utensils with an HIV-positive person
·
Using exercise equipment at a gym
You CAN get HIV it from infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or
mother's milk.
Myth No. 2: You don't need to worry about becoming HIV
positive - new drugs will keep you well.
Yes, antiretroviral drugs are improving and extending the lives
of many people who are HIV-positive. However, many of these drugs are expensive
and produce serious side effects. None
yet provides a cure. Also, drug-resistant strains of HIV make treatment an
increasing challenge.
Myth No. 3: You can get HIV from mosquitoes.
Because HIV is spread through blood,
people have worried that biting or bloodsucking insects might spread HIV.
Several studies, however, show no evidence to support this - even in areas with
lots of mosquitoes and cases of HIV. When insects bite, they do not inject the
blood of the person or animal they have last bitten. Also, HIV lives for only a
short time inside an insect.
Myth No. 4: You’re HIV-positive – your life is over.
In the early years of the disease epidemic, the death rate from
AIDS was extremely high. But today, antiretroviral drugs allow HIV-positive
people -- and even those with AIDS -- to live much longer, normal, and
productive lives.
Mother-to-infant
transmission is one way HIV can spread. HIV-infected pregnant women who
are not treated for the disease have about a one in four chance of passing the
infection to their babies. When both mother and infant receive proper treatment
and care before, during, and after birth, there is only about a 1 to 2% chance
that an infected mother will pass HIV to her child.
Myth
No. 6: You’re straight and don't use IV drugs – you won't become HIV-positive.
Most men do become HIV-positive through sexual contact with
other men. However, about 16% of men and 78% of women become HIV-positive
through heterosexual contact.
Myth No. 7: If you’re receiving treatment, you can't spread
the HIV virus.
When HIV
treatments work well, they can
reduce the amount of virus in your blood to a level so low that it doesn't show
up in blood tests. Research shows, however, that the virus is still
"hiding" in other areas of the body. It is still essential to
practice safe sex so you won't make someone else become
HIV-positive.
Myth No. 8: My partner and I are both HIV positive - there's
no reason for us to practice safer sex.
Practicing safer sex – wearing condoms or using dental dams - can protect you
both from becoming exposed to other (potentially drug resistant) strains of
HIV.
Myth
No. 9: You could tell if your partner was HIV-positive.
You can be HIV-positive and not have any symptoms for years. The
only way for you or your partner to know if you're HIV-positive is to get
tested.
Myth No. 10: You can't get HIV from oral sex.
It's true that oral sex is less risky than some other types of
sex. But you can get HIV by having oral sex with either a man or a woman who is
HIV-positive. Always use a latex barrier during oral sex.
ALL
IN ALL, it is better to be safe than sorry. Prevention is better than
cure.
#Stayhealthy
REFERENCE
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