Quote:
Originally Posted by suebee123
It is difficult to get HIV. You can easily avoid drug needles, having sex with people associated or who use needles for drugs, know who you have sex with and have sex with someone you know and trust and stick to monogomy. Don't have sex with gay men. Use condoms. Monogomy is almost a guarantee you will not contract HIV. Besides celibacy. And don't swap needles with people if you are a drug addict.
It's not that hard to avoid. I don't know and never have personally known anyone with HIV. It is not common and a terrifying potentially fatal condition. A person is lucky if it never advances to AIDS.
They are now marketing HIV as if it's no big deal. Big mistake to minimize it like that.
Live a clean life and you should be alright.
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In contrast, I know (and have met over the years) literally tens of thousands of HIV-positive people. It's not hard at all to get HIV. Depending on where one lives, and who one's partners are, one poor decision can result in infection. I know many, many people who followed all your advice above, a
nd who got infected as a direct consequence.
It is true that if you have correct, up-to-date information it is easy to avoid getting HIV. If you (or someone you care about) has old or out-dated information, they could easily think they were taking care of themselves and end up HIV-infected.
It is true that there are treatments and care available, and that if someone has access to these, they can live a long and healthy life. It is also true that most people with HIV, if they had the option, would much prefer not to be infected, and will do everything in their power to protect the people they care about from infection.
Great advice:
Use condoms.
Abstaining from sex will keep someone from getting HIV through sex.
Advice that could set someone up to get infected with HIV:
"Avoid drug needles": People who inject drugs, and who know how to do it safely, are actually less likely to be HIV-positive. People who have a long injection history have seen people die horribly of HIV, often without treatment.
What transmits HIV: Sharing needles and any other injection equipment including cotton, cookers, syringes, and if there blood on it, ties used to tie off. HIV can be transmitted when sharing injection equipment to inject hormones, insulin, meth as well as heroin and cocaine. Get your own set, don't share. If you're in New York State, you can buy syringes without a prescription at pharmacies statewide that display an "ESAP" logo (stands for "Expanded Syringe Access Program"). You need to be able to prove to the pharmacy that you are over 18, and most will let you purchase up to 10 syringes at a time. Prices will vary, so shop around for the best price.
"...know who you have sex with..."
I've always been puzzled about what "knowing the people you have sex with" would do in terms of lowering the chances of HIV infection. I think this is related to the idea that anonymous sex is what spreads HIV, and that no one you know would every lie to you about their HIV risk, or lie about whether they had an STD. Most people have little knowledge of whether they have HIV, and less knowledge about whether they have other STDs. The only person whose behavior you can control is your own. Learn what acts can transmit HIV, and if those are things you like to do, learn how to do those acts without risking HIV infection. Go to a recent HIV transmission presentation. Get updated information about how to prevent HIV. Learn about PrEP. Learn about female condoms. Learn which fluids transmit HIV -- may be more than you currently think. If it's been more than 5 years since you got some frank HIV information, things have changed and there are lots more choices now than there were before.
" have sex with someone you know and trust "
Ok, that isn't going to protect people from HIV. Thousands have been infected by people they knew and trusted. Trust isn't the issue -- keep in mind that the person who is telling you they aren't infected
might not have accurate information about their own status, and might know less about how HIV is transmitted than you do.
"stick to monogomy......Monogomy is almost a guarantee you will not contract HIV. "
Monogamy is having sex with one person. If the only person you are having unprotected sex with has been recently infected (in the last month), the tests currently available won't be able to detect their HIV infection. They will test HIV-antibody negative. But they will be highly infectious -- more infectious than someone with AIDS.
Monogamy is not a guarantee. Get tested, use condoms, consider using PrEP as an extra level of protection.
Don't have sex with gay men.
Lots of heterosexual people have HIV. Worldwide, the majority of people who have HIV are not gay and haven't had sex with a person of the same gender. Most women were infected by having sex with a straight guy. It's not whether he or she is gay or straight, it's whether that person has HIV. Lots of people who don't call themselves "gay" have HIV. Some had sex with people of the same gender, some didn't.
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