5 Myths About HIV

There is so much good information out there about HIV/AIDS, but there's also plenty of incorrect information. Here are some facts that everyone should know about HIV/AIDS.
1. You can get HIV from hugging, sharing utensils, straws, clothes or a toilet seat with someone who has HIV; from mosquitoes or other animals; or from blood transfusions.
HIV is transmitted in several ways. Having unprotected oral, anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV is one way to become infected. Another transmission route is if a woman who is HIV positive breastfeeds her baby, as breast milk carries HIV. A person can contract HIV if she shares drug needles with someone who is HIV positive or if she gets pierced or tattooed with a non-sterile needle. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and is passed from human to human; animals cannot carry or transmit HIV. Finally, donated blood is screened for HIV (among other illnesses); blood that tests positive for HIV is destroyed.
2. HIV came from people having sex with monkeys.
Scientists have found that a virus similar to HIV existed in chimpanzees in Africa--SIV, or Simian (relating to monkeys or apes) Immunodeficiency Virus. It is generally accepted that HIV is descended from SIV, as the two viruses are closely related. The most common theory is that hunters who killed the animal for food and its pelt absorbed the blood through cuts or wounds, or while eating it; the virus mutated to produce a different strain and was passed to other humans as HIV.
3. HIV/AIDS only affects gay people.
It's not who you are or what you do; it's how you do it. HIV does not discriminate. In fact, the latest statistics point to new infections occurring in disproportionate numbers in heterosexual young women. You can identify as gay, straight, bi-curious or everything in between, and if you're protecting yourself either by choosing not to have sex or by using a latex barrier consistently and correctly every single time you engage in sex, use sterile needles and not have any blood-to-blood contact, you are unlikely to get HIV. If you don't take these precautions, then no matter who you're attracted to, you are putting yourself at risk for contracting HIV.
4. You can get AIDS without first having HIV.
HIV attacks the immune system by invading and taking over your T-cells (cells which fight off infections). A normal T-cell count is over 1,000. Once a person's T-cell count has decreased to 200 or fewer, that person is said to have AIDS or becomes a Person Living With AIDS (PLWA). A person cannot have AIDS without first having HIV. It can sometimes take up to 15 years or more to transition from a diagnosis of HIV to a diagnosis of AIDS.
5. There is a cure for HIV/AIDS.
It'd be great if that was true, but the fact is, there is not yet a cure for HIV. People may look healthy (in fact, one can't tell from looking at someone whether he has HIV), but that doesn't mean they're cured. It can mean that they are managing their symptoms through medications and a healthy lifestyle.
For more information on HIV/AIDS, check out thebody.com and advert.org.