It is World AIDS Day

It is still crazy how people do not understand the basic facts about AIDS

AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The villain here is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The bad news is, the HIV virus is strong inside the body and weak outside it. So you cannot get AIDS or infected by HIV through:

• Casual contact
• Drinking glasses or by casual kissing.
• Sweat, tears, urine, or feces of an HIV-infected person.
• Vaccines
• Insects
• Contact with common objects like toilet seats, faucet handles

What we do need to know here is – call it the bottomline if you want:

• HIV does not spread easily from person to person.
• To get infected with HIV, infected blood, sexual fluid, or mother’s milk has to get into your body.
• HIV-infected pregnant women can pass the infection to their new babies.

So how to minimize the risk of spreading HIV?

• Use condoms during sexual activity
• Do not share drug injection equipment
• If you are HIV-infected and pregnant, talk with your health care provider about taking ARVs.
• If you are an HIV-infected woman, don’t breast feed any baby
• Protect cuts, open sores, and your eyes and mouth from contact with blood.

If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV, get tested and ask your health care provider about taking ARVs.

Cheers!

Vidya