HIV/AIDS Myths

1) Myth: HIV is the same as AIDS.

HIV is a virus.
AIDS is a collection of illnesses.

AIDS develops at the near-end stage of HIV infection, when the person's immune system is too weak. Opportunistic diseases may attack and eventually due to the person's weak immune system, he may not combat the disease and die.

2) Myth: I'm not prone to the virus.
Myth: I can't get HIV because i am not gay.

A lot of people think that they are not prone to the virus.
The truth is, it is about "What we do, not who we are".

Our actions (e.g unsafe sex, sharing of needles etc.) put us at risk of being infected, not whether we are of a higher social class or if we're of our sixties or seventies or lesbian etc.

EVERYONE is at risk, because our behaviours put us at risk.
your boyfriend who is tall, dark and handsome or your girlfriend who is cute, cuddly and warm may look INNOCENT, but one's look doesn't reflect one's attitudes and behaviours.

3) Myth: HIV is spread by needles left in theater seats or vending machine coin returns.

There is no documented case of this type of transmission.

4) Myth: You cannot get HIV from oral sex.

Unprotected sex increases the risk of the transmission of virus.
A lot of people I have spoken to expressed their opinion that oral sex is supposed to be done WITHOUT a condom.
It should be made known that HIV is transmitted via body fluids such as the semen, vagina fluid etc. via oral, vaginal and anal sex which are "unprotected".

Unprotected/unsafe sex means having sexual intercourse without condom or oral sex without condom/dental dam.

Safe sex means one chooses to use the condom during sexual intercourse.


5) Myth: HIV can be transmitted from breathing the air around an HIV-infected person or from hugging or holding hands with an HIV-infected person.

HIV cannot be transmitted through:
-toilet seats or door knob handles
-touching, hugging, holding hands or cheek kissing with an HIV-infected person
-sharing eating utensils with an HIV-infected person
-mosquito bites.

6) Myth: I cannot get HIV when i am on contraceptives such as Oral Contraceptives Pills, diaphragms, cervical caps, sponges, spermicides, DepoProvera, Norplant.

Birth control methods cannot prevent a person from getting Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV.

Apart from Abstinence, the next best effective method of preventing HIV and pregnancy is the Condom (either Male or Female).