9 AIDs and HIV Myths That Are Widely Believed to Be True

I am sure you have read one or many HIV myths in your life, but are they true? The stigma around HIV has prevented many people from seeking treatment and getting tested. It also prevents them from disclosing their status to their loved ones, which can lead to those loved ones developing the virus without knowing it. This article will source some common misconceptions and myths regarding HIV. Remember that your life is not over; it is only the beginning of beautiful things ahead. Besides that, we have also uncovered ways through which you can reignite your romantic life and find the perfect partner.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The virus is contracted through contact with infected fluids. The most common way of contracting HIV is through unprotected sex, which can be with a partner who has HIV or one who does not know that they have it. The virus can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy or childbirth or from an infected woman to her sexual partner during sex.

If you are diagnosed with HIV, it is important to get treatment as soon as possible to prevent any complications and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others

HIV Myth 1: I was Just Diagnosed with HIV. My Life Is Over 

First, you need to know that your life is not over and no matter what HIV myths tell you, do not lose hope. HIV may have gotten you in utter dismay, but there is so much more to life that you need to experience. You must make peace with yourself before opting out of treatment plans. So many celebrities with HIV live a perfectly normal life even after being diagnosed with HIV for years. Celebrities like Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Charlie Sheen, and many more have had HIV for years and still excel in their career, love life, and all other aspects of life. 

You can still live, laugh, date, marry, and have positive life goals with HIV. With a positive mindset and the right treatment action, you can live life better than before. A good doctor can make treatment plans easy and doable for you and make life as normal as possible. Therefore, even if you are diagnosed with HIV, do not get frustrated or depressed. Rather look for the positive aspects of your disease.

HIV Myth 2: Mosquitoes Can Spread HIV 

No evidence backs up such HIV myths. There is no scientific evidence about mosquitoes spreading HIV. When HIV surfaced in the late 1970s, people started believing that HIV was spreading like wildfire with mosquitoes like malaria. However, it was a myth that people believed without knowing the truth. Studies have shown that the virus dissolves when inserted into the virus after about 1-2 days. This fact shows that you should not believe everything you hear. Sharing the same towel, using the same bathroom, and even kissing cannot spread HIV. However, unprotected sex, sharing needles, etc., can transmit the disease. 

HIV Myth 3: HIV and AIDs Are the Same Things

It is one of the most misunderstood myths about aids and HIV. HIV and AIDS are not the same things. HIV is a virus that causes AIDS. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a virus that can lead to AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HIV is transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person, blood transfusions from an infected person, and from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is a human condition where the body's immune system has been severely damaged by HIV infection. It is one of the false HIV myths that you shouldn’t pay attention to.

HIV Myth 4: Straight People Don't Have to Worry About Getting HIV 

Regarding HIV, both straight and homosexual individuals are on the radar. For instance, a lady is twice as likely to contract the virus from an infested companion in a straight relationship than a man is. No specific research indicates that homosexuals are more prone to contracting HIV. Therefore, just because you are straight, do not assume that you will not contract HIV; it is only for gays. Any sexual contact can lead to HIV contraction. Therefore, it is your responsibility to be mindful of your sexual activities and the HIV myths you believe.

HIV Myth 5: I'll Never Find Love Again Because of Living with HIV 

It is a myth that puts the morale down of every new patient with HIV. The fact that you will never find true love after coming down with HIV is a false belief. Many HIV-positive singles find their partners, and many of their partners are HIV-negative. More and more people are getting educated about U=U. U=U means there is no risk of transmission through sexual contact from someone who has HIV to someone who does not have HIV.

This means that you cannot transmit the virus to your partner if you are living with HIV and taking treatment. This also means that if your partner has HIV and is treated, they cannot transmit the virus to you or anyone else. (When U=U is achieved and maintained, you can even have unprotected sex without worrying about transmission.) Even if you're tired of disclosing and seeing the person ghost you, you can try to meet people in the same situation with the help of HIV dating sites like MyPositiveSingles. It is free to chat with other HIV-positive singles, exchange opinions on its forum, post pictures on Moments, and control your privacy.

HIV Myth 6: People Living with HIV Can't Safely Have Children 

People with HIV can have healthy children. This is because the virus can be suppressed by taking medication. The medication will prevent the virus from being passed on to the child.

In addition, many people with HIV are unaware that they have the disease, which means they are not taking medication at all and therefore passing it on to their children. A study in 2017 found that there are around 200,000 children who were born with HIV because their parents did not know they had it.

The World Health Organization recommends that pregnant women get tested for HIV before giving birth, and if they test positive, they should start treatment as soon as possible to reduce the risk of passing the virus to their unborn child. 

HIV Myth 7: If I Take PrEP, I Don't Need to Wear a Condom 

Many new patients believe in HIV myths like this one. Only HIV-negative people can take PrEP. Why is it still necessary to wear a condom? PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a pill HIV-negative people can take to prevent HIV infection. PrEP includes two drugs: Truvada and Tenofovir. Truvada is a combination of two antiviral medications (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate).

PrEP does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) besides HIV. You will still need to use condoms for STI protection if you are at risk of getting an STI unless you have been tested and know you don't have one. 

HIV Myth 8: There Is a Cure for HIV 

Although two or three HIV-positive people happened to be cured of HIV, the cases are rare, and the costs are high, both physically and financially. So, don't fall for those traps that claim to help you cure HIV. However, you can opt for treatment plans that can reduce the impact of this disease and make life worth living.

HIV Myth 9: Since HIV Won't Progress to AIDs Immediately, I Can Wait to Get Treatment

The main goal of HIV is to replicate and spread. When HIV infects a cell, it uses its viral machinery to copy itself and insert new copies into its host cells.

This means that if you are infected with HIV, you will have more copies of the virus than someone who is not infected. Therefore, people with HIV can transmit it to others.

HIV does not always progress to AIDS immediately, but when it does, no treatments are available for AIDS patients. This means that patients will have a shorter lifespan as they will die from complications related to AIDS instead of natural causes like other diseases. Therefore, opt for treatment as soon as possible so you won’t succumb to complications. It is one of those myths about HIV that people tell themselves for comfort and delusion.

Conclusion 

HIV myths make people insane; therefore, the truth must come out. HIV is a contagious virus that infects roughly 38.4 million people worldwide. Your vision of life gets blurred as soon as you get a positive result. This article has covered common misconceptions that are believed as myths. Many myths exist about HIV and AIDS. These myths had existed since the 1980s when the disease was first identified. There are several reasons why people believe these myths, but the most common reason is that they don't know enough about HIV and AIDS to dispel these myths.