Debunking Common Myths About HIV/AIDS

#Belief1: H.I.V. & AIDS are both same. 

Fact: Both are different.

HIV is basically one type of Virus which is responsible for the infection. It means “Human Immuno Deficiency Virus. AIDS is the last stage after getting infected by HIV. This can be detected after 8 to 10 years of infection. It means Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome.

#Belief2: HIV is transferred by working or being in contact with HIV infected people. 

Fact: HIV is not transferred by Social contacts. HIV is not transferred by the given points.

• By breathing in the same room & atmosphere.

• By using common toilets & bathrooms.

• By eating or drinking from the same utensils.

• By hands shake or normal kissing.

• HIV is transferred only by infected blood, sperms, vaginal fluid & breast milk.

#Belief3: If both husband & wife are HIV infected, no need to use a condom while physical relations. 

Fact: HIV can be of two types, namely HIV-1 & HIV-2 and then there are several subtypes and strains of each them. HIV is a fast mutating virus so the strain gets changed over the time. Husband and wife, though initially may have been infected with same type, subtype of strain, can have different strains later on and hence can get the infection from each other with the different mutated strains of HIV. If a couple is not using a condom, one or both of them can keep infecting one another. It is possible that the type of virus which is drug resistant i.e. having very little effect of medicines may infect the other partner hence condom must be used. The only caveat is - the infected person is on regular ART and has become undetectable. “Undetectable is Untransmittable”!

#Belief4: HIV infection is mostly seen in sex workers and not found in people from common walk of life. 

Fact: In the decades of 1980 & 1990, the HIV infection was found to have infected more sex workers & less common people. But by Public Awareness Programmes & other relevant intervention projects of the Government as well as NGOs like Peoples Health Organisation (India), infection of HIV is reduced by 80 to 90% in sex workers. While the infection of HIV is found to have increased among people in general society. HIV is not related to work or religion of the person. HIV can be found in any person who has one or more of the following behavioural activities or a risk factor-

• Having unsafe sexual relations outside marriage

• By transfusion of the infected blood

• By Injection Drug Use (IDU)

• Baby borne to the infected mother or breastfed by infected woman

#Belief5: HIV infection means death. 

Fact: Not true. It is true that the HIV virus cannot be removed from the body of the infected person but the science has at least proved that HIV virus can easily be controlled by medicines. By proper medications called Anti-retroviral Treatment (ART), one can lead a normal life and early death can also be avoided. ART has to a combination of three anti-retrovirals (ARV). A total of 30 ARV medicines have been invented, one can remain free of AIDS for the whole life.

#Belief6: HIV negative report proves a person to be HIV free. 

Fact: Not true. One can have HIV infection even though having negative blood report and this is possible during the window period. For confirmation, one has to retest blood after three months and should be free of any risky activities / fresh exposure during these months.

#Belief7: HIV is not transferred by the person under medication of HIV. 

Fact: Due to ART the viral load is reduced but the virus never completely vanishes from the body. Hence the chances of infection are low, but are not at all zero. Some of the robust ARVs help reduce virus quickly and tremendously. Consult the expert.

#Belief8: Chances of HIV are zero from relations with a reliable and healthy-looking partner.

Fact: The symptoms of HIV/AIDS can develop even 8 to 10 years after the infection with HIV. However during these years the infected person has virus, tests positive and thus capable of transmitting the same. So healthy-looking person need not be HIV negative!

#Belief9: The Oral Sex does not lead to transfer HIV. 

Fact: HIV can also be transferred through Oral Sex, but the chances are less. HIV is mainly transferred through sperms, vaginal fluid, mothers’ milk and blood transfusion. If one has a cut or ulcer or swelling of gums or oral or throat infection, the HIV in the sperm of the infected partner can enter the other partner’s blood steam through cuts, abrasions, wounds or ulcers transmitting HIV infection.

#Belief10: HIV can be cured by Ayurvedic or other alternative medicines.

Fact: No person till today is cured of HIV. HIV infected patient or any patient of the chronic disease are frustrated and are tired mentally, physically and financially. Some quacks takes advantage of such situations in HIV infected people and make tall promises of their ‘concoctions’ ‘therapies and often spurious medicines and cheat such frustrated patients who are in search of ‘cures’. Beware of fraudsters and Tom, Dick & Harry who can threaten your life with false promises. This will only lead to physical and financial loss and you to lose golden time to be treated properly, often lead you to death.

#Belief11: HIV infection is possible by kissing. 

Fact: This has both possibilities. The infection depends on the type of kissing. The French kiss or prolonged mouth to mouth kissing may lead to infection but very rarely. Again only if both have cuts, injuries or ulcers in the mouth but chances of HIV transmission are extremely less.

#Belief12: Contraceptive pills can prevent the infection hence one need not use the condom. 

Fact: This is wrong. The contraceptive pill works on the reproductive system, only to prevent pregnancy; while HIV virus enters through unprotected intercourse. A condom provides a barrier protection thus prevents one’s infected sexual fluid coming in contact with genital area of another. Infect condom works as contraception as well as HIV protection, but pill doesn’t.

#Belief13: One cannot have more than one Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) simultaneously.

Fact: One can have more than one STDs at a time. If one has not been diagnosed and treated for STD, the chances of HIV transmission are almost 10 times more. If any ulcer has developed due to STD, the chances of HIV transmission are raised further.

#Belief14: If one has HIV & other is negative, then safe sex is not possible & such couples should not have physical relations or should not have pregnancy.

Fact: A conjugal relationship is an integral part of married life. It is possible to have protected relationship. It is the best strategy to start treatment of HIV infected partner at the earliest, so that s/he can become undetectable viral load. Pregancy is also possible and child can be born without HIV under expert guidance and proper treatment. A new therapy called Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) can be used by uninfected person during the period the infected person has still detectable viral load.

#Belief15: The test for HIV should not be done. If it comes positive it will have its own problem. Let ignorance be bliss! 

Fact: The chances of being HIV infected are much less. So if your result comes negative, you do not have to lead a life of ambiguity and fear. If you are in that minor possibility and turned out to be HIV positive, by taking timely treatment you can lead a perfectly normal life with ART. In the pre-test counseling for HIV test, one is explained about the HIV other STDs; which will help you to prevent such infections in future.

#Belief16: HIV can be transferred by mosquito bites.

Fact: HIV virus has very short life outside the human body. As such mosquitoes suck the blood from our body, blood goes in their intestine and gets digested. Mosquitoes do not inject blood, hence mosquito bite cannot transmit HIV. Entomologists have done studies on mosquitoes fed on HIV infected people and did not find any evidence to support that mosquitoes can ever transmit HIV.

#Belief17: An HIV-infected woman should not give birth to a child as the newly born will be surely HIV infected.

Fact: If HIV-infected woman is not under treatment, the newly born baby has 30% to 45% chances of HIV in natural course. If the woman is under ART medications and infant is given medicines for 4 weeks, the chances of HIV are reduced to less than 1%. At Unison Medicare and Research Centre, we have at least 170 HIV infected mothers who had delivered during last decade, none of the child born to them is HIV infected, so we have 100% result in prevention of mother to child HIV infection.

#Belief18: HIV can be cured by physical relations with virgin girls (or even boys). 

Fact: This type of myth prevail in some people in our country and in African Continent as well. This has no scientific logic and not true. Instead of the cure from HIV, the child can get HIV infection. Such person can be tried for heinous crime and inflicting deadly disease on the indefensible – the child.

#Belief19: HIV can be cured by physical relations with animals. 

Fact: This myth does prevail in some tribes and people in our country as well as in African Continent. This has no scientific logic and not true. A perpetrator can be tried on inflicting cruelty on animals and be punished.

#Belief20: HIV medicines are very costly and not affordable by the middle-class people. 

Fact: India is fortunate to have several companies that have launched the medicines for HIV. This has resulted in the reduction of cost of medicines and they are cheapest in India. The medicine for a month can be from Rs.1000.00 to 6000.00 depending on the ART combination chosen to treat.

#Belief21: HIV medicines have side effects; which will be troublesome to the patient. 

Fact: This is not true. The fact is that HIV medicines do have some side effects, just as any medicine have, but not each patient get them. We have to weigh enormous beneficial effects that ART can provide versus miniscule side effects! Currently used ARVs have been otherwise very safe with least side effects. By and large 95-98% of those on ART do not face any major side effects. If anyone is inconvenienced with the side effects, then the medicines can be changed.

#Belief22: HIV is transmitted by placing the infected needle on the seats of the theatre or pricks by unknown people. 

Fact: These are rumours and such rumours go viral in social media and traditional media. Speed of spreading misinformation is faster than speed of spreading educational information! HIV cannot be transferred like this as the virus has a very short life outside the human body. People should not pay attention to such rumours and should rather dissuade people from doing such rumour-mongering.

#Belief23: HIV is transferred through cold drinks. 

Fact: Once again it is myth. Such rumours go viral as people keep forwarding without knowing reality. HIV cannot be transmitted like this as virus are very fragile and can survive only in human body and bodily internal fluids like blood, semen, vaginal secretions. It is not transmitted through saliva, tears, sweat and aerosols.

#Belief24: HIV medicines are to be used at the precise timings. People avoid medicines as they are not able to maintain the timings. 

Fact: The fixed time for intake of the medicine has reason that the effect of the medicine shall prevail between two successive doses providing adequate dose at all the times. To obtain the maximum output, ART medicines are prescribed for 12 or 24 hours’ interval, depending on what combination is used. Some medicines have requirements to be taken with food or after food or on empty stomach. However, slight variations in timings will not affect much

#Belief25: Person suffering from both TB & HIV should start the treatment of HIV only after completion of TB treatment. 

Fact: Normally, ART for HIV should be started after two to sex weeks of starting TB treatment. This is to prevent Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndromme (IRIS). Starting both medicines simultaneously can result in IRIS, as anti-TB medicines act slowly and results come only after two weeks, but ART acts very fast. Under such situation sudden change in immunity levels increases TB and often at new places in the body.

#Belief26: If intake of medicine is skipped, it does not matter. 

Fact: HIV is a virus and to keep it in constant control, the suitable medicine should be present all the time in the body. If a dose is skipped, the virus escapes the medicine cover and frequent skipping of the doses for a long time will result into virus becoming resistant to ART.

#Belief27: HIV positive person having no trouble may not require any medicine. 

Fact: The time period between the infection and onset of symptoms / signs is 8 to 10 years. During this period, HIV slowly and steadily reduces CD4 cells of the immune system. Such reductions make way for attacks of several infections and some non-infectious conditions. The HIV virus damages the body parts internally though there may not be any obvious symptoms. Hence ART medicines for HIV should be started immediately on detection of HIV. Studies have shown that those who start ART earlier prevent several infectious and non-infectious conditions and thus their life spans get extended and without disease events.

#Belief28: If an HIV-infected person gets involved in unsafe sex, the possibility of HIV transmission is 100% even in one sex. 

Fact: This is most commonly observed misunderstanding. If one has HIV chance of HIV transmission for a single relation is just less than 1%, precisely 0.3%. If the frequency of the unsafe physical relations increases, the chances of HIV infection increase. As every physical relation does not result in the conception, in the same way, the chance of HIV infection is just 1%. However, though the chance of HIV transmission is less than 1% precautions should be 100%, as one doesn’t know which attempt will transmit HIV!

#Belief29: HIV positive person should not marry. 

Fact: This is a misunderstanding prevailing in the society. Especially when HIV had no proper treatment. An HIV-positive person can live a happy married life irrespective of his profession and HIV affliction. The best for such person would be to marry HIV infected person. However, if a positive-negative marriage has to take place, please go through counseling sessions, don’t marry someone deceitfully, that is a punishable crime. HIV positive person has the moral responsibility to take care not to transmit HIV to spouse. Take proper ART, if needed negative person should be put on PrEP.

#Belief30: Pharmaceutical companies have invented the medicines to cure HIV but are not launching them with the intention to earn more through present medicines. 

Fact: Some people believe in this type of rumors. Actually, pharma companies can earn lot more by selling HIV cure medicine(s) if they have one, rather than current medicines.

#Belief31: HIV can be transmitted through shaving blade or toothbrush. 

Fact: Not a single case is recorded till date, who has got HIV through barber, shaving or toothbrush. Though HIV is not transferred through blade or toothbrush, but hygienic precautions should not have holiday. By taking those precautions, you protect yourselves from several infections that can be transmitted through sharing razors and toothbrush.

#Belief32: HIV can be transferred by Fish pedicure. 

Fact: HIV virus cannot survive outside human body hence HIV cannot be transferred by Fish pedicure. Do not believe in such rumors.

#Belief33: If HIV is detected, the laboratory staff and doctor may informs others in society; which can ruin your social prestige. 

Fact: Nobody can do this. If they do, it is a punishable crime under the newly passed HIV/AIDS Act 2017. The result of HIV test is not disclosed to any other except the person himself. Details of the test are kept a confidential and cannot be disclosed to anyone without your permission, not even to your spouse.

#Belief34: Every HIV-infected person suffers AIDS and die a miserable death. 

Fact: The first AIDS cases were diagnosed in 1981 in USA and in India in 1985-86. In the pre-ART period, every HIV positive person used to suffer from AIDS and die sooner than later. Presently, science has progressed very well and there are many medicines for treating HIV, called ARVs. Nearly 30 medicines are available in the world for HIV out of which 20 medicines are available in India and at affordable cost. The ART drugs are not able to completely cure HIV but restricts the growth of virus, thereby reduces the present virus to 99.99% making the infected person undetectable for HIV in few months. Taking ART can even revert person from AIDS to HIV and prevents person from going to AIDS stage if he/she start ART immediately.

#Belief35: HIV is found only in poor and in some specified class of people. 

Fact: This is a totally wrong and convenient belief, in an attitude of ‘holier than thou’! HIV can be transmitted to any person without any distinction of caste, creed, race, religion, profession and economic or social status.

#Belief36: HIV is transferred through unsafe sexual relations only. 

Fact: Though most people are infected through sexual transmission, in every case this may not be true. A wife getting HIV infection from her husband cannot be construed to be having unsafe sex! Sometimes, HIV is transferred through infected needle or contaminated blood transfusion.

#Belief37: It is not required to change the syringe in an injection. Only needle is to be changed to prevent HIV infection. 

Fact: This belief prevails even among the healthcare workers, as the erstwhile injection practices used to be only replacing needles, that to reusable needle from the boiling water. However, current practices demand and uses disposable syringes and needles.

#Belief38: HIV infected people are always sick and have a very short life. 

Fact: This is not true. Normally symptoms of HIV are seen only 8-10 years after the infection. If HIV is diagnosed early and treatment started soon, the infected person may lead a perfectly healthy life for a full lifespan.

#Belief39: HIV is found only in young people and old ones are free from HIV. 

Fact: HIV infection can happen to anybody at any age, based on risk factors. Generally people believe that old people do not indulge in risky behaviours. Though proportionately chances of young people indulging in unsafe sexual practices are higher, old people are not free from such behaviours.

#Belief40: HIV leads to death only and hence medicines are useless. Why treat?

Fact: Presently, ART can provide perfectly healthy life, but needs to be taken regularly. ART can be obtained from ART centres free of charge and even in private they are affordable. So, don’t loose hope, support HIV positive person take the best possible ART.

#Belief41: HIV is transferred by using the same swimming pool. 

Fact: HIV virus is very fragile and cannot survive outside the human body. Virus cannot survive in swimming pool water that has bleach/ chlorine and hence HIV cannot be transmitted through swimming pool. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!