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HIV Info Sheet www.PositivelyAdopted.com 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