Myth : Hiv Does Not Spread Through Oral Sex
Fact: Healthcare professionals consider contracting HIV from oral sex rare but possible.
During oral sex, placing the mouth on the penis, vagina, or anus can potentially expose a person to infected fluids that could enter the mucous membranes in their mouth.
Although the risk of contracting HIV as a result of engaging in oral sex is , a person can still take steps to protect themselves if their partner has the virus.
People can use a barrier method of protection, such as a dental dam or a condom, to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV and other infections during oral sex.
To prevent transmission, healthcare professionals recommend engaging in monogamous sex with a partner who is taking antiretroviral therapy consistently . Antiretroviral therapy can reduce a personâs viral levels so that HIV is untransmittable.
Widely Circulated Fake News
With the growth in technology, it has become very convenient to connect to people around the world. However, on a flipside, any piece of information, whether genuine or not, sometimes get shared widely if proper attention is not paid to the source of information.
The fake news regarding contaminated Cadbury products is not a one-off incident. Exact same messages with only different name of the company were shared in past too.
Also, the image of the person apparently responsible for contaminating the food item is also attached with the message. The image is actually of Aminu Ogwuche, the Nigerian accused of masterminding the April 14 bomb explosion in Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja.
This kind of hoax and unverified news are responsible for perpetrating unnecessary fear in the minds of people. The fears and apprehension among people are further intensified since these messages also falsely claim that the news is verified by leading news platforms, for example, in case of Cadbury products, the message said that this piece of news was shown on leading news channel, BBC.
Myth : Blood Transfusions Raise The Risk Of Hiv
Fact: Healthcare professionals in the United States and many other countries rigorously test the blood supply for a variety of blood-related infections, including HIV.
Banked blood that is available for transfusion does not contain HIV. The virus cannot spread through organ and tissue donations, as these also undergo testing.
When scientists were first identifying HIV, they did not know what caused the virus or how it spread. As a result, they did not test donated blood for HIV, and some people contracted the virus in this way.
Now, however, strict testing ensures that no viruses are present in the blood supply.
Anyone who has concerns about blood or organs they are going to receive can speak to a healthcare professional about the product and the testing process.
It is not possible to contract HIV by donating blood, as all needles and other materials are sterile.
Don’t Miss: How Long Does It Take To Get Hiv Test Results
What Is Hiv And Aids
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that infects the immune system. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome . AIDS is the most advanced stage of the HIV infection and causes the immune system to become vulnerable to other infections. HIV can also be known as “the AIDS virus.”
The full name for AIDS describes several of the characteristics of the disease.
Acquired indicates that it is not an inherited condition.
Immune Deficiency indicates that the body’s immune system breaks down.
Syndrome indicates that the disease results in a variety of health problems.
It takes on average, 5-10 years for the initial HIV infection to progress to AIDS if not treated. While there is presently no cure or vaccine for HIV, with proper medical care, HIV can be managed and a near-normal lifespan can be expected with early treatment.
What To Do If You’re Not Sure
HIV hotlines are used to getting calls from people who are afraid they have been infected through casual contact. Perhaps the person was involved in a fight or came into contact with someone who was bleeding. Others may worry about having deep kissed someone who may or may not have HIV.
While the likelihood of infection in these cases would be considered negligible to nil, people will often want a 100% guarantee that they’re going to be fine nothing less will suffice.
In such cases, doctors will usually take the opportunity to perform an HIV test and perform pre- and post-test counseling to better understand what the person knows about HIV and answer any questions they might have.
If there is a risk of actual transmission, however small, the doctor may opt to prescribe a 28-day course of HIV medications known as post-exposure prophylaxis which may avert infection if treatment is started within 72 hours of the suspected exposure.
In cases where the person’s fears seem extreme and unreasonable, counseling may also be needed to address the possibility of AIDS phobia or other possible anxiety disorders.
Don’t Miss: What Are The Signs Of Hiv After 3 Months
Rare Ways Hiv Is Transmitted
Activities that seldom, but can, lead to HIV transmission include:
- oral sex
There are a number of methods that reduce the risk of contracting HIV:
- use condoms or other forms of barrier protection during sexual contact
- never sharing needles for injectable drugs or medications
- get tested regularly for HIV and other STIs
If a person is living with HIV, consider the above precautions and take additional measures. Following an antiretroviral medication regimen can reduce viral load and reduce the likelihood of transmission to others.
Another way to reduce the spread of HIV is by taking pre-exposure prophylactic medications. Also, post-exposure prophylaxis can be used to prevent HIV infection if someone is exposed to the virus.
How Do I Know If I Have Hiv
If you are pregnant, it is important to attend your antenatal appointments, as these are the times when you can get an HIV test.
Your healthcare professional will offer you a test at your first appointment. If the result is positive you will be encouraged to start antiretroviral treatment as soon as possible. You will also be offered a test in your third trimester .Remember that, whether you are pregnant or not, if you do have HIV you may not show any symptoms. The only way to know whether you are HIV-positive is to get tested.
If at any point during your pregnancy or breastfeeding stage you think you have been exposed to HIV, you may be able to take post-exposure prophylaxis . You need to take PEP within 72 hours of possible exposure to prevent HIV from establishing in your body and being passed on to your baby. If youre breastfeeding, you should discuss whether or not to continue breastfeeding with your healthcare professional.
If you are pregnant, it is important to attend your antenatal appointments, as this is where you can get an HIV test.
You May Like: What Type Of Virus Is Hiv
Can You Get Hiv Through Oral Sex
The risk of HIV from oral sex is very small unless you or your partner have large open sores on the genital area or bleeding gums/sores in your mouth.
There is only a slightly increased risk if a woman being given oral sex is HIV-positive and is menstruating. However, you can always use a dental dam to eliminate these risks.
Hiv In Vaginal Fluids
While HIV can spread via vaginal fluids, the virus tends to exist in smaller concentrations than it does in blood and semen.
It is not clear why this is the case, but it appears that hormones and the types of cells in the genital tract may play a role.
Breast milk contains HIV in lower concentrations than blood or semen.
A baby can contract HIV through breast milk, so the CDC recommend that people with HIV do not breastfeed, regardless of antiretroviral therapy or viral load.
HIV can also transmit to a baby through pregnancy or birth. However, this is becoming less common with recent developments in care.
If a person with HIV is receiving effective antiretroviral therapy, and they give HIV medicine to the baby for 46 weeks after delivery, the risk of the baby contracting HIV can be
Read Also: Can I Get Hiv From Kissing An Hiv Positive Person
How Do You Get Or Transmit Hiv
You can only get HIV by coming into direct contact with certain body fluids from a person with HIV who has a detectable viral load. These fluids are:
- Blood
- Semen and pre-seminal fluid
- Rectal fluids
- Vaginal fluids
- Breast milk
For transmission to occur, the HIV in these fluids must get into the bloodstream of an HIV-negative person through a mucous membrane open cuts or sores or by direct injection.
People with HIV who take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners.
What Is The Risk Of Contracting Hiv From Blood Transfusions
The risk of contracting HIV from blood transfusions is very low less than one chance in a million.
Every unit of donated blood in Australia is laboratory screened for a wide range of blood-borne infections. These tests have included screening for HIV since March 1985. Screening tests for HIV involve:
- testing for the presence of HIV antibodies and part of the virus
- testing for the viruss genetic material this is called a nucleic acid test and is a more sensitive test to detect the presence of the virus itself.
Thanks to the development of NAT, the window period the time between infection and the detection of the virus in the blood has been reduced from around 22 days to 6 days. This method is also used to screen donated blood for hepatitis C virus.People at risk of HIV infection and some other infectious diseases are excluded from donating blood.
You May Like: How Do You Feel With Hiv
Myth : If A Couple Has Hiv They Do Not Need To Protect Themselves
Fact: Different strains of HIV exist, and strains can change over time. If a person and their partner have two different strains of HIV, it is possible for them to transmit these to each other. This can lead to reinfection, which can complicate treatment.
Current medications can reduce the levels of this virus in the body so that it is untransmittable. If this happens for both partners, HIV protection may be unnecessary.
A healthcare provider can advise each couple on their situation.
Even if there is no risk of transmitting HIV, other sexually transmitted infections can spread as a result of having sex without a condom or other barrier method.
Isnt Hiv Only A Risk For Certain Groups Of People
Like most illnesses, HIV doesnt discriminate between types of people and the infection can be passed on to anyone via one of the ways mentioned above.
Some people are more vulnerable to HIV infection if they engage regularly in certain activities that are more likely to transmit the virus. However, its a common misunderstanding that HIV only affects certain groups.
While not everyone has the same level of HIV risk, everyone can reduce their risk of infection.
You May Like: Can You Get Hiv From Eating Semen
What If There Is An Actual Or Suspected Exposure To Hiv
The decision to begin a post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV infection is based on the judgment of a health care professional and should be a joint decision with the exposed worker. PEP often involves taking a combination of 2 or 3 antiretroviral drugs for about 4 weeks. PEP can help reduce, but not eliminate, a personâs risk of infection. The PEP should begin as soon as possible, as it may be less effective if started more than 72 hours after exposure.
Occupational Groups Risking Exposure to the AIDS Virus
The occupational groups listed below risk exposure to HIV in the workplace. The table that follows suggests preventive measures for these groups. For many situations, using all protective barriers listed in the table is not necessary, but workplaces should always make them available in case of emergency response scenarios.
Surgeons, Nurses and Nurses Aides
Surgeons, nurses and nurses’ aides should take precautions to avoid needlestick injuries, cuts with sharp instruments and exposure through skin lesions to potentially infectious blood and body fluids.
Physicians and Laboratory Workers
These people continuously handle infectious samples. Doctors, in diagnosing HIV patients, carry out physical examinations and collect blood samples. Laboratory technicians analyze potentially infected samples.
Ambulance Workers
Dental Workers
Embalmers
Embalming the bodies of persons with a HIV infection presents a risk because HIV can live for hours in a deceased body.
Cleaners
What Do I Need To Know About Hiv Transmission
It is important to take safety precautions to prevent the transmission of HIV. HIV is an infection that slowly weakens your immune system. Over time, a weak immune system makes it difficult for you to fight infections. Common signs and symptoms of HIV infection include chronic diarrhea, weight loss without trying, and skin rashes or lesions.
Recommended Reading: Does Hiv Medication Cause Weight Gain
Who Has Come With New Infant Breastfeeding Guidelines For Hiv Positive Mothers And Here Is What You Should Know About It
Written by Debjani Arora | Published : December 5, 2017 3:43 PM IST
Till about a decade back it was believed that mother-to-child transmission of HIV can happen in three ways during pregnancy, labour and delivery or while breastfeeding. This is why HIV positive mothers who conceive and deliver babies when they are on antiretroviral therapy and other assisted procedures are asked not to breastfeed. Here is how to conceive a baby if both partners are HIV positive.
However, on 30 November 2009, World Health Organisation or WHO released new recommendations on infant feeding by HIV-positive mothers, based on new studies. For the first time, WHO recommended that HIV-positive mothers or their infants take antiretroviral drugs throughout the period of breastfeeding and until the infant is 12 months old. This means that the child can benefit from breastfeeding with a very little risk of becoming infected with HIV. However, there are studies which concluded that benefits of breast milk can override the risk of transmission of HIV virus, especially if the mother and baby are given ART in tandem.
Does My Baby Have Hiv
Your baby should be tested for HIV at birth, and again four to six weeks later.
If the result comes back negative, your baby should be tested again at 18 months and/or when you have finished breastfeeding to find out your babys final HIV status. It is very important to take your baby for this final HIV test to ensure they are HIV-negative or to get them on treatment if they are positive.
If any of these tests come back positive, your baby will need to start treatment straight away. Talk to your healthcare professional, and attend follow-up appointments to ensure your baby receives treatment.
Read Also: Which Body Fluids Transmit Hiv
How Is Hiv Recognized
Doctors use laboratory tests to confirm HIV infection. The Elisa and Western Blot analyses identify people who have been exposed to HIV. These tests determine if the blood contains particular antibodies that result from contact with the virus. They do not identify who among a group of infected individuals will develop the disease. The presence of antibodies or HIV markers means the person has been infected with HIV but no one can predict when and if they will get AIDS related symptoms.
Doctors diagnose AIDS by blood tests and the presence of specific illnesses such as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or Kaposi’s sarcoma. These diseases overcome the weakened immune system and are responsible for the high death rate among AIDS patients.
Is Hiv Transmitted Through Food
It is important for all of us to make decisions based on facts and not rely on plain hearsay.
Cases like this not only highlights our gullibility but also point to how ignorant we are about such a fatal disease.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is a spectrum of conditions caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
HIV is transmitted only by specific means. Only certain body fluids like blood, semen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milkfrom a person who has HIV can transmit HIV. For HIV to be transmitted, these fluids must come in contact with damaged tissue or have to be directly injected into the bloodstream.
The most common causes of HIV transmission are- having unprotected intercourse with someone who has HIV, by being stuck with an HIV-contaminated needle or syringe, from mother who is having HIV to child during childbirth and breastfeeding or by receiving blood transfusions, blood products, or organ/tissue transplants that are contaminated with HIV.
Coming to the main question, does HIV transmit through food? The answer is no.
We are living in a time where there is an abundance of information, however, this doesnt mean that everything we read or hear is true. It is important for us to look out for facts. Another important duty is to educate others about fake news/information. The Logical Indian encourages everybody to verify any piece of information that they come across, before sharing.
Don’t Miss: Can You Get Hiv From Protected Intercourse
Hospital Policies That Protect You From Hiv And Other Infectious Diseases
To prevent the spread of HIV, hospitals follow strict infection prevention and control guidelines. All blood and body fluids from patients are treated as potentially infectious:
- Syringes and needles are single use and disposed of in approved sharps containers.
- Reusable medical devices are decontaminated and sterilised after each patient use.
- Many medical devices are disposed of after single use.
- Healthcare workers wear protective equipment including gowns, gloves and eyewear when carrying out any procedures involving a patients blood or body fluids.
- All spilt blood and body fluids are cleaned up according to strict cleaning guidelines.
- Laundry is cleaned according to strict Australian Standards .