I am sick and tired of the censorship surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS.
So I shall defy it, and in so doing, hopefully dispel a few of the classic myths and misconceptions that mar it with fear and ignorance.
All the confusion circling one of the world's biggest and most ruthless killers stems from 1982 and the coining of the term GRIDS by public health scientists. It stands for Gay-Related Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (or, more unsympathetically, the 'gay plague') and was first proposed to describe what we now know as AIDS.
Talk about gross professional misconduct!
If you can't sniff out the discriminatory error yet then I suggest you sniff a little harder. For this assumption that AIDS only effects members of the gay demographic is downright wrong at best, utterly misleading at worst.
Newsflash, and point #1 -- HIV/AIDS can effect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, location and sexuality.
It was assumed to be a homosexual-only disease by flint-headed right-wingers who tirelessly researched gay male promiscuity and intravenous drug use on the newly-exploded LGBT club scene, all in some futile attempt to chart a disturbing trend between a 'salacious lifestyle choice' and a deadly, incurable virus - you could, I suppose, call the emergence of HIV the veritable King Kong of the 1980's, captured and subsequently paraded by - and in front of - those who didn't understand or care in the slightest.
Suffice it to say, in late 1982, the term was changed to AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) after further research - conducted by those aiming to save rather than smear - discovered, quite rightly, that 'gay related' did not accurately reflect the afflicted demographic.
So there's the starting point, and it wasn't looking good from the outset. Like a bridge built on a wobbly foundation, the stability of the HIV prevention movement has suffered greatly as a result, through fear and widespread public ignorance and prejudice.
Now let's get to grips with the virus and hopefully counter any harmful misinformation that's been circling since the early 1980's. Please note: I do not wish to scaremonger or sensationalize, only to educate and provide a basic groundwork for further research. I will link numerous credible websites at the bottom should you wish to double-check any facts and figures or seek further help and guidance.
1. The basics.
WHAT IS IT? -- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that relentlessly - and slowly - attacks the body's immune system, weakening it's natural defenses against a variety of everyday diseases and more serious illnesses. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a disease of the immune system caused by HIV. HIV and AIDS are NOT the same, and a person does NOT contract AIDS with HIV. Typically, a person who contracts HIV will develop AIDS gradually as the body weakens, and AIDS will become prominent anywhere between 6-14 years after HIV is contracted, when the white blood cell count (responsible for fighting off infections and diseases) falls below a certain level.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? -- HIV is virtually asymptomatic - that is to say, it lacks any clear, definable symptoms, making it very difficult to detect early on. However, between 70-90% of sufferers say that they had experienced mild flu symptoms anywhere between a week and a month after infection: headaches, sore joints and aching muscles, nausea, night sweats, a cough, a sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes under the armpits. Many sufferers dismiss this as the onset of a common cold and ignore the warning signs.
HOW DO YOU GET INFECTED? -- Despite the repudiation of the term GRIDS (HIV/AIDS affects many heterosexual people, typically women), gay men are more at risk of infection than any other demographic. The most common way to contract the virus is to engage in passive, unprotected anal sex - in other words, receiving sex while the dominant partner is not wearing a condom. The reason is this: the anus is not self-lubricating and often tears, allowing semen (carrying the virus) to enter the blood stream and even absorb through the thin walls of the anus if a tear doesn't occur. Only a properly worn condom can stop this from happening. HIV can also be contracted by sharing drug needles, engaging in unprotected vaginal sex, and can be passed from a mother to her baby via breast milk. AIDS develops over time -- people suffering HIV do not start out with AIDS, but, as the white blood cell count depletes and the body weakens, it forms gradually and begins to decay the body after approximately 10 years of HIV infection. This is only an approximation, and many of those with HIV will not develop AIDS for up to 20 years.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES? -- Most people with HIV will not suffer physically for between 6-14 years. The majority of the battle early on is psychological. Indeed, to be given a death sentence is hardly easy on the mind, and many people are diagnosed very young, with the rest of their lives ahead of them. Physical suffering begins with the development and onset of AIDS. AIDS itself doesn't kill you; at least, not technically. It effectively leaves the door to your immune system wide open, and allows the body to be attacked by opportunistic infections, such as bronchopneumonia (Freddie Mercury's killer). Lesions may also appear on the body, and the AIDS sufferer will typically lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. After AIDS is diagnosed, life expectancy can range from anything between 5 years to 25 years, depending on the treatment prescribed and the white blood cell count of the individual.
IS THERE A CURE? -- There is currently no cure for HIV or AIDS. However, with an early diagnosis and proper treatment, doctors can delay the onset of AIDS by as much as 15-20 years, and the gap is getting bigger with each medicinal advancement. Only 20 years ago, the onset of AIDS occured after only 5 years of HIV infection, and life expectancy was a mere 8 years. In 1996, however, doctors introduced ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy), and this is amongst the most common and effective HIV treatments. Doctors can also direct you to someone who will offer councilling and a wealth of psychological support for the duration of your treatment programme.
HOW DO YOU ARRIVE AT A DIAGNOSIS? -- The only way to be sure if you have HIV or not is to have a test at your local GUM clinic. There are a variety of tests available - the most favored being a rapid, same-day or 60-second test, where a small amount of blood is taken either from the tip of the finger or the arm and is tested against a chemical solution. The results are 99.9% accurate with a very small margin for error. The results will come back in one of three ways -- HIV+ (you have the virus), HIV- (you don't have the virus), or Indeterminate (you will need to go for further testing).There are also longer tests available in the form of standard blood-giving followed by a 7-day wait. Doctors realize and appreciate the stigma surrounding HIV, and will be compassionate, sympathetic and non-judgmental should you decide to go for a test.
CAN YOU PREVENT INFECTION? -- Yes. Always wear a condom, and know the status of your sexual partner. Never engage in unprotected anal or vaginal sex, and, if convenient, wear a condom during oral sex as well. There HAVE been several cases of HIV infection as a result of giving oral sex, and you're particularly in danger if you have a lot of open sores or ulcers in the mouth area. There have also been a very tiny number of cases (less than 10) where HIV has been contracted after kissing. However, the HIV virus is much weaker in the saliva, and the chances of getting infected this way are extremely slim. Also, for those who inject drugs, always clean and sanitize your needles and the needles of others before use. There are a substantial number of people who have become infected from dirty needles, where the blood of an HIV sufferer hasn't been washed from the needle properly.
2. Statistics.
In the UK, an estimated 86,500 people were living with HIV in 2009. It is impossible to say for certain how many people are infected, because we've had to combine the 64,300 people who are known to be infected with an estimated 22,000 people who are infected, but undiagnosed. Scarily, there are an estimated 22,200 people infected with HIV in the UK who don't know it, and are reluctant to get tested.
In 2009, less than 1% of people with HIV died. However, the average age at death of people living with HIV is lower than that for the general population.
An estimated 36,427 'men who have sex with men' (homosexuals) are currently living with HIV in the UK, leaving approximately 50,000 sufferers in a variety of other demographics: including heterosexual men, heterosexual women, babies, the elderly, black Africans, immigrants and bisexual individuals.
There are currently 15.9 million women living with HIV in the world today.
3. Myths and misconceptions.
Most of the myths surrounding HIV/AIDS are heavily rooted in prejudice or fear, and are used both to marginalize and exclude those living with the virus. Many are also homophobic in nature. Here are a few of the most common misconceptions.
Myth -- HIV/AIDS is a gay-only disease.
Reality -- Wrong. Anyone can be susceptible to HIV infection and the subsequent onset of AIDS. Everyone is at risk of contraction after blood-to-blood contact, unsafe anal and vaginal sex, needle sharing, and breastfeeding. Also, in the last decade, the number of heterosexual women being diagnosed with HIV has increased by as much as 10%.
Myth -- You can catch HIV/AIDS from breathing in air around the infected person, or by holding hands or sharing cutlery.
Reality -- You cannot 'catch' HIV from another person unless the infected blood comes in to contact with your blood. HIV CANNOT be transmitted through doorknobs or toilet seats; touching; hugging; cheek-kissing; holding hands; sharing utensils; or mosquito bites.
Myth -- You can't have more than one sexual transmitted disease (STD) at a time.
Reality -- Incorrect. In fact, a person with an untreated STD, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea, is 6-10 times more likely to contract HIV through unsafe sex than someone who doesn't have any STD's.
Myth -- You can cut out the risk of infection if you engage in gentle, unprotected sex.
Reality -- Nope. Even if vaginal or anal sex is unprotected and 'gentle' (that is to say, no tearing occurs), the semen of an infected person can still absorb in to your blood stream through the thin vaginal or anal walls. Infected women can also pass the virus to an unprotected male penis via vaginal fluids.
Myth -- You can tell if a person has HIV/AIDS by looking at them.
Reality -- You can't. Before the onset of AIDS, those living with HIV are, for the most part, physically unaltered. When AIDS forms and decimates the immune system, you may notice weight loss or large lesions on the body, but these are also the symptoms of countless other diseases and infections. The bottom line is this -- a person living with HIV looks just as 'normal' as everyone else, and the only way to know their status for sure is to ask them -- sensitively, and in the appropriate situation!
Myth -- HIV sufferers purposefully withhold their status so as to infect others.
Reality -- This is one of the most incendiary and widespread myths concerning HIV. Only a very tiny minority will purposely sleep around in order to spread the virus, whether out of anger, reckless abandon or revenge, and many of these end up in jail serving consecutive life sentences. Many who don't know their status will unwittingly pass on the infection, out of ignorance and not malice, and the majority of those who know their HIV+ status will either inform their sexual partner beforehand or ensure the use of a condom. Remember -- it is NOT your RIGHT to know. It is up to THEM to tell you or to keep it a secret, and as long as they engage in safe, responsible sex, the risks of virus transmission are non-existent. Sufferers will withhold their status for a plethora of reasons: fear of rejection, violence, discrimination, the loss of a job or the ending of a tenancy.
Myth -- Once you've got HIV, you can't get rid of it.
Reality -- This is true for the most part. BUT (and take note), you CAN eradicate the virus if you act within 72 hours of possible infection. All clinics and hospitals offer a free drug called PEP, or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. PEP is a month-long course of pills to be taken directly after possible infection (remember, it can take up to 6 weeks for HIV to show up in the blood) and has a 97% success rate in getting rid of HIV. Those who complete the months course -- said to induce grueling side-effects, such as migraine and chronic diarrhea -- are cured and no longer have to worry.
Myth -- Life is no longer worth living after an HIV+ diagnosis.
Reality -- It may seem that way to begin with, but there are thousands of support networks and charities set up all over the UK to offer help and guidance to sufferers. And don't forget that with the currently available treatments, those with HIV can expect to live to a relatively 'normal' age. Many HIV+ persons are also in happy, loving relationships with others who share their status, and the majority like to keep fit and socially active.
Myth -- Getting an HIV test is easy.
Reality -- It is one of the hardest things to go through and prepare for, and I speak from personal experience. Not only do you dread the needle, the possible stigma and funny looks from the nurses once they know what you came in for, you're also forced to flash your own life before your eyes and contemplate a death sentence. For those with successful careers and rented properties, testing positive (HIV+) can often result in prejudice, discrimination and, ultimately, the loss of said job and house.
4. Websites and Contacts.
http://www.avert.org/aids-statistics.htm -- for worldwide statistics and commentary.
http://www.tht.org.uk/ -- website for the Terrence Higgins Trust, based in the UK, offering all kinds of help, support and information. There is also a 'donate' function on the homepage, should you wish to contribute to the prevention movement.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/HIV/Pages/Introduction.aspx -- clearly and concisely details the signs, symptoms and risks of HIV infection. The information is reliable and direct from the NHS.
http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/directory/links/apps/hiv_directory/supportcentres.asp -- a directory of contacts and support groups, helping HIV+ individuals with everything from state benefits and housing to getting back on to the social scene and dating.
http://www.bodyandsoulcharity.org/ -- a charity helping those with HIV come to terms with their status. Their focus is on the young -- either children or young people with the virus or for those whose families are affected by the virus.
http://www.pep.chapsonline.org.uk/pep_basics.htm -- a wealth of information on PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis): what it is: what it does: how successful it is: what the side-effects are: where to get hold of it, etc.
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