The Top Ten Myths About HIV/AIDS

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Becky Kuhn, M.D., co-founder of Global Lifeworks, debunks the following 10 myths about HIV: HIV doesn't cause AIDS; because of ARV medications, we no longer need to be concerned about HIV/AIDS; if you have HIV and are sexually active, you no longer need to practice safer sex; you can't contract HIV through oral sex; you can't get HIV from one sexual encounter; a woman cannot spread HIV to another woman by having sex with her; if you are HIV positive but your viral load is undetectable, you cannot spread HIV; AIDS can be spread by kissing, hugging, or shaking hands; if you have HIV, you can cure it by having sex with a virgin; every individual with HIV will eventually develop AIDS. This video refutes misinformation from the "Lee Evans HIV Tests" video. Visit and to learn more. [Do you want to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS? Are you fluent in a language other than English? Then volunteer to translate a video into another language! Click to learn how you can help!!!]

Channel: Education
Uploaded: July 11, 2006 at 10:28 pm
Author: AIDSvideos

Length: 00:08:54
Rating: 4.02
Views: 153235

Tags: HIV AIDS prevention myths antiretroviral abstinence faithful condom virus education care orphan charity safer sex

Video Comments:
RakshaDaemon (January 5, 2009 at 8:57 am)
If a HIV+ person's blod comes in contact with an open wound of yours, only then can you contact HIV. Not if you eat it, or if it stays outside the body for long.
RakshaDaemon (January 5, 2009 at 8:55 am)
yes
AIDSvideos (December 1, 2008 at 4:51 pm)
Yes, if you are HIV+, you should be able to get free medical care under the Ryan White Care Act. Note that it hasn't been fully funded so there are waiting lists for treatment in some areas, unfortunately.
burntflybog (November 26, 2008 at 12:24 pm)
my aunt had a blood transfusion in the 80s, and she died 5 years ago, with three young children left motherless. For everyone that we cast aside for doing something "wrong" to get HIV, we let people like my aunt get sick and die. Oh, and to the denialits, she didn't have a staph infection, never used drugs, was physically fit, and got all of the vitamins and minerals she needed from her abundant back yard garden and local farmers market. and no, she never took ARVs.
AIDSvideos (November 26, 2008 at 10:45 am)
The median time in the developed world between contracting HIV and developing clinical AIDS is 10 years without treatment. With monitoring, treatment, and good nutrition, sleep, and general health, you may be able to live a normal lifespan with HIV. So it's not surprising that wealth athletes who contract HIV can still look healthy today. Also, worldwide, the majority of people who contracted HIV did so through heterosexual sex.
CucciCadet (November 25, 2008 at 7:00 am)
I woman I picked up on the street gave me unprotected oral sex for about 10 seconds and I stopped her after that point because I was uncomfortable with the whole experience. I did not ejaculate and there was no other contact between us. Needless to say I learned my lesson but what would you say are the chances she passed anything to me?

I am worrying so bad right now that I have trouble sleeping. I was wondering what the chances were of getting that disease through oral sex the way I had it?
AIDSvideos (November 26, 2008 at 10:41 am)
See our video "Some Ways You Can Contract HIV and the Risk of Each One" for details about per-encounter risk for various sexual practices including receptive oral sex such as you experienced. Also see wikipedia's article on "HIV" for a table showing transmission risk estimates. Go to the doctor, tell them your history and risk factors, get tested for HIV, and follow their instructions for follow-up testing and anything else. Glad you learned the lessons: avoid paid, casual, and unprotected sex!
CucciCadet (November 27, 2008 at 12:16 pm)
Thank you for that info and I did watch your videos. However, I am wondering how those percentages apply to my situation? Do those percentages mean prolonged exposure with the infected parter?

My main question would be that considering the exposure I had, which was 10 seconds at best, what would you say the chances are that I caught anything from her giving me oral sex for that short a time period?
AIDSvideos (December 1, 2008 at 4:47 pm)
See our video "What's the Risk That I Have Contracted HIV?" As that video notes, in the end, you really can't precisely estimate the percentage risk that a particular individual has contracted HIV. Just get tested, use protection if you're sexually active until a doctor gives you the "all clear from that possible exposure," and don't worry too much in the meantime. Also, I'm unaware of any studies that quantify risk at the "per seconds of encounter" level.
rinrin303 (November 17, 2008 at 3:43 pm)
Thank you for posting some truth about this epidemic, I was getting sick to my stomach reading HIV is a secret government ploy for population control. Damn some people really need to be educated.