MYTHS & FACTS

LET'S BE STRAIGHT UP !

Can HIV/AIDS be transmitted by:

• Eating food prepared by someone who has HIV/AIDS

• Eating from the same dishes or drinking from the same cups and glasses as someone who as HIV/AIDS.

• Touching, hugging, kissing or shaking hands with someone who has HIV/AIDS.*

• Coming into contact with the urine, faeces, sweat or vomit of someone with HIV/AIDS.*

• Being bitten by an insect (e.g. a mosquito) or an animal which has bitten a person with HIV/AIDS.

WRONG! THESE ARE ALL MYTHS!!

Fact:

Although HIV may be found in the body fluids listed above, the quantity present is way too small to cause infection.

Having physical contact with someone or eating food prepared by an HIV positive person DOES NOT cause HIV infection.

However, for those points with with the asterisks* you can only contract HIV if you are exposed to the following body fluids below;

• Blood Semen, pre cum

• Vaginal and cervical secretions

• Breast milk

Is it true that;

• You Can ONLY get HIV/AIDS if you have sexual intercourse with homosexuals or prostitutes.

• Birth control pills protect a woman from contracting HIV.

MYTH!! THIS IS SO NOT TRUE!!!

Fact:

You are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS regardless of whom you have unprotected sex with or what pills you take.

If you have:

• Sexual intercourse without a condom, you are at a VERY high risk. This includes vaginal or anal sex - DON'T BE FOOLED!

• Unprotected sex with many different partners or multiple partners.

• Sex with an individual who has had unprotected sex with different partners.

• Shared needles for drug use. If sufficient blood from the tip of a needle used by an infected person enters your body you CAN contract HIV!

ALL THESE ACTIVITIES WILL PUT ANYONE WHO PRACTICES THEM AT HIGH RISK OF CONTRACTING HIV!!