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HIV Info Sheet
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What is HIV and is there a cure?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and it is the virus that causes AIDS if
left untreated. AIDS is the most advanced stage of the infection caused by HIV. Most
people who are HIV positive do not have AIDS.
HIV is different from most other viruses because it lowers the immune system and
leaves the body vulnerable to illness. However scientists have been studying HIV
since 1981 and, while there is not yet a cure, amazing progress have been made.
Thanks to medications called anti-retrovirals, or ARVs, the amount of virus in the
blood can be reduced so drastically that, for many people, it becomes completely
undetectable by standard laboratory tests.
“As a doctor I can tell
you that, medically
speaking, I’d rather
have HIV than diabetes.
While this might sound
surprising, the facts
speak for themselves:
the prognosis for those
with type 2 diabetes is
much worse than for
those with HIV.”
How do you get HIV?
HIV is transmitted in 3 main ways:

Having sex with someone who has HIV

Sharing needles and syringes with someone who has HIV

Being exposed to HIV before or during birth or breast feeding1
- Dr. Max Pemberton
National Health Service
Can I catch HIV from casual contact?
No. HIV is not like a cold or the flu. It is a fragile virus and cannot be
transmitted through day-to-day activities such as shaking hands, hugging, or a
casual kiss.2 You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, doorknob, food, pets
or mosquitoes.
Saliva does not transmit HIV so there is no need to worry about spit, vomit,
sneezing, etc. You can share dishes and utensils without concern. HIV is also not
transmitted through tears or sweat.
Urine and feces do not transmit HIV so there is no need to worry about sharing a
bathroom or changing the diaper of a child with HIV.
There are over a million people in the US living with HIV. These individuals work in
restaurants, daycares and hair salons. They are teachers, massage therapists,
lawyers and waiters and no one has been, or will ever be, at risk by sharing their
communities.
1
“You can't get the virus
by touching, shaking hands,
hugging, swimming in a
public pool, giving blood,
or using hot tubs, public
toilets, telephones,
doorknobs or water
fountains.”
- American Academy
of Family Physicians
What about blood?
The only bodily fluids that have been shown to contain transmittable
concentrations of HIV are:
HIV is now considered a
chronic but manageable
condition that can be
controlled with medications
and healthy lifestyle
choices.
- Harvard Health



blood
sexual fluids (semen & vaginal fluid)
breastmilk3
The only precaution needed when living with or caring for a child who has HIV is
to use a simple barrier when cleaning up blood, such as a paper towel or plastic
glove.4 However this is recommended when handling anyone’s blood and is a wise
habit in general.
There is no need for excessive concern or precaution. HIV has never been
transmitted in a normal family environment.*
People with HIV are now living nearly normal life spans.
What is the life expectancy of someone with HIV?
According to Dr. Kenneth Alexander, chief of pediatric infectious disease at the
University of Chicago, "Science and medicine have come so far that we would
rather treat pediatric HIV than juvenile diabetes. If you look at how well our
medications work, there's no reason not to expect that children with HIV will one
day see their grandchildren."
What is it like living with a child who has HIV?
“Don't spend time worrying
about weird and obscure
ways of transmitting the
virus. The simple fact is that
if no one shared NEEDLES
and everyone wore
CONDOMS, the HIV
epidemic would disappear."
- Dr. Joel Gallant, Professor
of Medicine & Epidemiology
and Associate Director of the
Johns Hopkins AIDS Service
Life with a child who has HIV is pretty much like life with any other child. The
main differences are that a child with HIV sees a specialist quarterly and takes
pills once or twice a day.
Many parents of kids with HIV find that after awhile they nearly forget all about
their child’s status because it is so easily managed. Most say that the lack of
education and updated knowledge of others has been their biggest hurdle to
overcome.
Generally speaking, life with kids who have HIV is full of all the same ups and
downs, laughter and tears, joys and challenges of parenting any child.
For more information and to meet families with children who have HIV visit:
www.PositivelyADOPTED.com
1.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
2.
National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Disease
3.
AIDS.gov Access to U.S. Government HIV/AIDS Information
4.
Web MD Network
*Excluding sexual activities
2