SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS
20 MYTHS ABOUT HIV / AIDS
worth of treatment . Luckily , the side-effects are smaller than they used to be . If you need PEP , don ’ t wait 24 hours like most people do while you think about it . Search online for your nearest emergency clinic and ask for help immediately .
MYTH : BAREBACK SEX IS HOTTER . BUSTED : This one is a judgment call . Ask yourself what matters more – who you are with and what you are doing , or the fact you are wearing a condom .
MYTH : LESBIANS CAN ’ T GIVE EACH OTHER HIV . BUSTED : Women can give transmit HIV to each other . However the risk level is very low . Risk factors include exposure to vaginal or other body fluids , blood from menstruation , or blood from damage sustained during rougher sex . Read about one of the rare examples here .
MYTH : AS LONG AS I ONLY TOP , I ’ LL BE OK . BUSTED : ‘ Bottoms ’ are seven-times more likely to get HIV than ‘ tops ’ in gay sex . But any unprotected anal sex carries a risk of HIV transmission and being a top is not ‘ safe ’.
MYTH : HAVING GAY BAREBACK SEX WITH AN HIV POSI- TIVE GUY IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING YOU CAN DO . BUSTED : You should obviously use protection with a positive partner . If someone is HIV positive but doesn ’ t know their viral load and is not on treatment , they are high-risk for passing the virus on . But if they are taking HIV drugs , they may be ‘ undetectable ’. That means the virus is still in their body but can ’ t be detected by tests . At that level it is highly unlikely they can pass
54 the virus on .
MYTH : IF I DON ’ T TEST FOR HIV , THE ONLY PERSON I ’ M HURTING IS MYSELF . BUSTED : You are most likely to pass on HIV if you have the virus but don ’ t know it yet . You may think you are negative . But if you ’ ve just got the virus , you are at your most infectious . If everyone tested regularly and got on treatment if they were positive , the infection rate would plummet . Testing is important for you too . The sooner you start treatment the better your longterm health will be . But by not testing , you risk hurting your sexual partners – people you presumably like at least , if not actually love . Psyching yourself up for a test may be hard , particularly if you are nervous because you ’ ve had unsafe sex . But it ’ s a quick prick on the finger and then you ’ re done . Best case , you ’ re negative . Worst case , you get help and can live as long and as fully as anyone else . Testing is a win - win .
MYTH : THERE IS NO HIV RISK FROM PRE-CUM . BUSTED : There is a small amount of HIV in a man ’ s pre-cum , though less than in semen . Getting pre-cum getting in your mouth during oral sex is not something to worry about . It is harder to transmit HIV through oral sex anyway . Bou can transmit HIV through your pre-cum during vaginal or anal sex . Some people have got HIV just because their partner delayed putting on a condom during anal sex .
MYTH : YOU CAN GET HIV FROM A POOL OF BLOOD YOU FIND IN THE STREET . BUSTED : HIV is an extremely fragile virus and only lasts a
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