HIV is the same as AIDS
In fact this couldn't be further from the truth. HIV is a virus and AIDS is a collection of illnesses. Knowing the difference between the two is a very impportant part of understanding both.
Top
|
HIV only affects gay men and drug users
In fact, HIV can infect anyone. Babies, women, seniors over 50, teens, blacks, whites and hispanics. At risk behavior can lead to infection in anyone.
Top
|
We both have HIV...we don't need a condom.
Not true. Experts are seeing more and more incidences of re-infection, making HIV treatment even more difficult.
Top
|
People over 50 don't get HIV.
Don't bet on it. In fact, people over 50 make up a rapidly growing segment of the HIV population.
Top
|
HIV can be cured.
While many make claims of miraculous cures, the sad truth is there is no cure for HIV. Be careful of claims or cures and miracles. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
Top
|
I have just been diagnosed...I am going to die.
This is the biggest myth of all. In fact people are living with HIV longer today than ever before. Meds, treatment programs, and a better understanding of HIV allows those infected to live normal, healthy, productive lives.
Top
|
HIV is a gay male health issue, I won?t affect me.
59% of all new HIV diagnoses in the UK in 2004 were through heterosexual sex.
Top
|
There is no point in testing, there is no cure.
Although there is no cure for HIV, there are effective treatments available which can keep you healthy in the long-term. HIV testing and an early diagnosis will help you to take control of your health and get help, rather than waiting until you become ill.
Top
|
If you share a cup or shake hands it can spread HIV.
HIV can only be transmitted if the body fluids of someone who has HIV get into an uninfected person's body and then into their bloodstream. You can not catch the virus through everyday contact and body fluids, like saliva, sweat or urine, do not contain enough of the HIV virus to infect another person.
Top
|
If you HIV it is because you have done something wrong.
HIV can affect anyone, no matter what their sex, age, culture, religious beliefs, or background. There are children, policemen, politicians, doctors, housewives and people from all other walks of life who have HIV.
Top
|
If you are strong, you can fight HIV without medication.
HIV treatment has been proven to extend the lives of people with HIV regardless of their general health. A healthy lifestyle and a good diet will help to improve your health in general but it is not enough to fight the HIV virus alone.
Top
|
If you have HIV, you should not have children as they will be infected.
If you are HIV positive, there are now steps you can take to greatly reduce the risk of passing on HIV to your baby. These precautions have enabled parents with HIV to have children who are HIV negative.
Top
|
The HIV test can be painful.
The HIV test is simple and involves a small sample of blood being taken, usually from your arm or finger.
Top
|
You have to wait a long time for HIV test results.
Different tests can be used depending on your circumstances. The amount of time it takes to get HIV test results varies from clinic to clinic. Increasingly, results can be given in a short amount of time, sometimes as short one hour after the test.
Top
|
If I find out I am positive, no one will help me.
There are local and national support groups across the country were thousands of members benefit from the help and advice offered. Many people are surprised by the amount of kindness and support offered to them if they are diagnosed as HIV positive.
Top
|
I can't have more than one sexually transmitted disease (STD) at a time.
A person can be infected with more than one STD. A person with an untreated STD may also be 6-10 times more likely to pass on or acquire HIV during sex. Risk for infection increases 10 to 300-fold in the presence of a genital ulcer, such as occurs in syphilis or genital herpes.
Top
|
There is no such thing as safer sex.
Safer sex is sexual activity without penetration, or sex with a latex condom or a latex barrier (in the case of oral sex). Although safer sex can substantially reduce the sexual transmission of an STD like HIV, sexual abstinence is the surest way to prevent the sexual transmission of an STD, including HIV.
Top
|
Since I only have oral sex, I'm not at risk for HIV/AIDS.
You can get HIV by having unprotected oral sex with a man or a woman, although the risk is lower than for unprotected penetrative sex. That is why it is important to use a latex barrier during oral, vaginal, or anal sex.
Top
|
I would know if a loved one or I had HIV.
A person with HIV may not show any symptoms for up to 10 years. Since HIV affects each person differently, many people with HIV can look and feel healthy for years. The only sure way to know is to get tested.
Top
|
Getting tested for HIV is pointless.
Knowing if you are HIV-positive will allow you to seek early treatment that can help you stay healthy longer and enable you not to pass on the virus to someone else. Regardless of your HIV status, you can learn how to prevent future infection from HIV or other STDs through counseling offered at many HIV testing centers.
Top
|
When you're on HIV therapy you can't transmit the virus to anyone else.
Antiretroviral drugs don't keep you from passing the virus to others. Therapy can keep the viral load down to undetectable levels, but HIV is still present in the body and can still be transmitted to others.
Top
|
HIV is a gay male health issue, I won?t affect me.
