Debunking Common Myths About HIV

Even though medicine and public health education have improved a lot over the years, many people still believe false things about human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. These myths spread fear and misunderstanding, making it harder to prevent the disease and stopping people from getting tested or treated.

North Oaks Infectious Disease wants to clear up common myths about HIV. The goal is to give everyone the right information so they can make smart choices, no matter who they are or what their risk might be.

Myth 1: HIV is a death sentence.

This is one of the most common and harmful myths about HIV. It might have been true early in the epidemic, but not anymore. Thanks to years of research and medical advances, HIV is now a treatable, long-term condition—not a death sentence.

Modern treatment, called antiretroviral therapy (ART), can lower the amount of HIV virus in the body so much that it can’t be detected. When the virus is undetectable, the immune system stays strong, and HIV doesn’t turn into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) set a goal that 95% of people on ART will reach undetectable levels of HIV by the end of this year The organization is working to achieve this because it wants to help people with HIV stay healthy and greatly reduce the chance that they’ll pass the virus to others.

Myth 2: HIV can be spread through casual contact.

You can’t get HIV through everyday contact. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) explain that HIV is not spread by:

• Touching, hugging, kissing or shaking hands
• Sharing toilets, dishes or food
• Coughing, sneezing, spitting or being in the same room as someone with HIV

HIV can only be passed through certain body fluids like blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk. But even then, the virus has to get into the body through broken skin, open cuts, or mucous membranes like those in the mouth, genitals or rectum.

You can’t get HIV from spit. Saliva doesn’t have enough of the virus to spread it, even if someone has sores in their mouth. In fact, saliva has natural enzymes that help stop HIV from spreading.

HIV is mainly spread through unprotected sex, sharing needles or syringes and from a mother to her baby during birth or breastfeeding. Oral sex has a much lower risk, but it’s still possible to get HIV—especially if there are cuts, sores or other infections in the mouth. Getting HIV from a blood transfusion is now extremely rare because donated blood is carefully tested and screened.

Myth 3: Only certain groups of people get HIV.

HIV doesn’t choose who to infect. Anyone can get it, no matter their age, gender, race, sexual orientation or income level. Some groups may have higher rates of HIV, but that’s often because they have less access to healthcare, education or prevention tools—not because they’re more at risk biologically.

For example, in 2023, women and girls made up 44% of all new HIV cases worldwide, and 53% of all people living with HIV were female. People in low-income or underserved communities may also face more challenges getting tested and treated, which can increase their chances of getting HIV.

Myth 4: HIV always leads to AIDS.

Yes, HIV can turn into AIDS within eight to 10 years if it’s not treated. But this idea is outdated. Thanks to better treatments, far fewer people worldwide die from AIDS today. Most people with HIV in the United States stay healthy and never develop AIDS at all.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that about 31,800 people got HIV in 2022, which are the latest numbers available. That’s a 12% drop in new infections since 2018, showing that prevention and treatment efforts are working.

Myth 5: HIV can be spread by mosquitoes.

No, you can’t get HIV from a mosquito bite. HIV needs special human cells to survive, and mosquitoes don’t have those. Instead, the virus gets broken down in the mosquito’s stomach.

When a mosquito bites a person, it uses one part of its mouth to suck blood and another to inject saliva—not blood—into them. Since HIV isn’t spread through saliva and mosquitoes don’t pass blood from one person to another, there’s no risk of getting HIV this way, even if a mosquito bites a person infected with HIV and then bites someone else.

A recent study even showed it would take 10 million mosquito bites from mosquitoes that just fed on someone with HIV to pass even a tiny amount of the virus.

Know the facts. Get tested.

Clearing up myths about HIV and AIDS is important, but it’s just one step. The best way to protect yourself and others is to get tested.

About 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, but 13% of those people don’t know they have it. That’s why testing matters. Finding out early means you can get life-saving care, stop the spread of HIV and live a long, healthy life.

If you need an HIV test or treatment, the North Oaks Infectious Disease Clinic offers a safe, welcoming place without judgment. Call (985) 230-2778 today to make an appointment.