Debunking myths about HIV/AIDS

Haven’t heard much about HIV/AIDS lately? The disease is definitely still with us. “I think there’s a misconception that the HIV/AIDS problem has gone away in Canada. And that is not the case,” says Dr. Ann Stewart, Medical Director at Casey House in Toronto.

Every two hours, someone in Canada is infected with HIV. In fact, Ontario has experienced a shocking 75 per cent increase in HIV incidence rates in the last 10 years. More and more of those contracting the virus are women and young people. And while medications have given many a chance to live their lives, doctors are starting to see premature aging in those who have been taking meds for a long time.

With the commemoration of World AIDS Day yesterday, Casey House and the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation would like to blast some common myths about HIV.

MYTH: I won’t get HIV because I’m straight and I don’t use IV drugs.
FACT: Most people who become infected with HIV thought it couldn’t happen to them. Although gay men and drug users are most at risk for contracting HIV, nearly 30 per cent of new infections in Canada now happen in women.

MYTH: You can catch HIV from mosquito bites, or from touching, hugging or kissing someone who is HIV positive.
FACT: Only semen, vaginal fluid, blood or breast milk transmit HIV.

MYTH: I don’t feel sick; therefore, I don’t have HIV.
FACT: You can have HIV and be symptom-free for many years. In fact, you may be extremely infectious.  

MYTH: You can’t get HIV from someone who is getting treatment.
FACT: Although treatment can impact the risk of infection, HIV can still be transmitted through unprotected sex with someone who is receiving treatment.

MYTH: A diagnosis of HIV is a death sentence.
FACT: People with HIV are living longer than ever before, but they remain vulnerable to developing AIDS and other serious diseases such as opportunistic cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes, and must adhere to careful treatment (and its negative side effects) for the rest of their lives.

MYTH:  If I get HIV, I can be cured with treatment.
FACT: There is no cure for HIV/AIDS.

Here is a glance at HIV rates across Canada:

Ontario: Over 26,000 people living with HIV, and of that number, 16,550 live in Toronto.

B.C.: It’s estimated there are 12,000 people infected with HIV.

Alberta: There are approximately 3,200 people living with HIV/AIDS, with a much
higher rate of infection in Edmonton than in Calgary.