Myths

There is a lot of misunderstanding about HIV and AIDS. 

Myth №1. HIV is man-made (HIV is man-made for experiments on people from developing countries)

Responding Fact: HIV is closely related to similar virus found in chimpanzees. It has existed in humans since at least 1950s. 

Scientists believe the virus crossed to humans when a man who was haunting chimpanzees was wounded and blood from a chimpanzee entered his bloodstream. 

Myth №2. HIV can be transmitted during everyday social contact and household items. 

Responding Fact: HIV can only be passed on when one person’s body fluids (for example: blood, semen, and fluids from the vagina, but not saliva) get inside another person’s body. 

This doesn’t happen when you hug or talk to someone, or when you use the same fork, cup, plate, towel or bathroom as another person. So there is no risk of passing on HIV in these situations. 

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Myth №3. People Living with HIV pass their infection every time they have sex. 

Responding Fact: If condom is used correctly, there is hardly any risk of HIV being passed on. If the person living with HIV is also taking anti-HIV drugs, the risk is even lower. Latest scientific data provides evidence that HIV risk of transmission of HIV reaches nearly zero when person living with HIV is properly and continuously taking anti-HIV drugs and level of infection in one’s body is undetectable. 

Check U=U for additional information on the topic. 

Myth №4. You don’t have to start taking anti-HIV drugs until you fill ill. 

Responding Fact: It is better to start treatment as soon as possible. 

Without HIV treatment, virus silently damages the immune system (the body’s defensive system). Some of the damage cannot be repaired. By starting treatment before the immune system is damaged, you can prevent future illnesses. 

Myth №5. Anti-HIV drugs do more harm than good. 

Responding Fact: Without anti-HIV drugs, most people with HIV become seriously ill, develop AIDS and die at young age. 

When HIV treatment is taken, it allows people to live long and healthy life. Most side-effects go away after few weeks and have no long term consequences. People taking anti-HIV drugs have their health carefully monitored to check they are doing well.  

Myth №6. HIV treatment has terrible side effects 

Responding Fact: Today’s anti-HIV drugs have fewer and less severe side-effects than the drugs used in the past. 

Most side-effects are caused by the body getting used to a new drug and they go away after a few weeks. Severe, long-term side-effects are much less common. If one drug cause you problems, your doctor can usually give you a different drug. 

Myth №7. You can be cured of HIV.

Responding Fact: Despite a lot of scientific research, there is still no cure for HIV. 

HIV treatment can get rid of most of HIV in the body, but the virus never entirely disappears. It will still be present in some parts of the body, like the intestines. If you stop taking your anti-HIV drugs, HIV will starts spreading throughout your body.  

Myth №8. Herbs and nutritional supplements can be as effective as anti-HIV drugs. 

Responding Fact: Some herbs and supplements can be good for your general health, but they cannot prevent HIV from infecting new cells and spreading. 

Only anti-HIV drugs have been proven, by scientific research, to prevent HIV from spreading in the body. Also some herbal supplements stop anti-HIV drugs from working correctly. They can reduce the amount of the drug that gets into the blood, making it less effective against HIV.  

Myth №9. The cure for HIV has been already found but its kept in secret to protect profit of drug manufacturing companies.  

Responding Fact: Scientists and drug companies have not yet discovered a cure for HIV. 

There are many drug companies producing anti-HIV drugs and they are very competitive. If one of the companies could sell cure, they would earn far more money than their competitors. Research continues.