10 myths and truths about AIDS –

1. I’m female, heterosexual and I don’t use drugs. So I don’t have to worry about AIDS.
Myth. AIDS is everyone’s problem. Today we don’t talk about a risk group, but a vulnerable situation, explains psychologist Iracema Teixeira, president of the Brazilian Society for the Study of Human Sexuality (Sbrash): “Not using a condom during sexual intercourse is putting yourself in a vulnerable condition. Each of us needs to take responsibility for our health.”

2. Everyone with HIV has AIDS.
Myth. An HIV carrier is considered to have AIDS when the immune system deteriorates. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks CD4 lymphocytes, which produce antibodies. Those who have no symptoms or signs of the disease are called seropositive and can transmit the virus. A healthy-looking person could be infected and not even know it.

According to infectologist Jean Gorinchteyn, from the Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, in São Paulo, the onset of symptoms depends on the health of the carrier. Opportunistic diseases – such as herpes, tuberculosis and pneumonia – take an average of five to ten years to manifest. During this period, the person may be asymptomatic. The first signs can be mild (fever, diarrhea, tiredness, enlarged lymph nodes) or severe (severe pneumonia, persistent diarrhea, intense weight loss, plaques of candidiasis on the tongue and mouth, changes in the nervous system).

3. Diagnosis is made only by blood test.
True. There are two methods: the conventional test (Elisa) and the quick test in a drop of blood. Both methodologies allow detecting the presence of antibodies against the HIV virus. If it is positive or reactive, another test is performed to confirm the result, the Western Blot, which looks for HIV fragments, or the PCR, which locates the virus’s genetic material. The test is requested during pregnancy and can be performed at health centers by anyone who suspects exposure to the virus (has not used a condom during sex with someone who uses drugs, for example).

4. If it’s negative, I can breathe a sigh of relief.
Myth. It could be a false negative. The applied tests measure antibodies against the virus. If the contact is recent, you may be in what experts call an immunological window, a period in which the production of antibodies against HIV is insufficient to be detected. Jean Gorinchteyn recommends repeating the test after fifteen days, three months, six months and one year

5. For the treatment to work, it must be started as soon as the test is positive.
Myth. Until last year, antiretroviral therapy was only initiated when the CD4 count was below 500 units per cubic millimeter of blood or when the carrier was 55 years of age or older. The treatment was anticipated by the Ministry of Health with the objective of reducing the amount of virus in circulation, to avoid the drop in resistance and the appearance of opportunistic diseases, and also to reduce the chances of transmitting HIV to other people. But the drugs have side effects, such as lipodystrophy (alteration in fat distribution: it disappears from the face and is concentrated in the belly) and increased cholesterol and triglycerides, in addition to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in the first weeks of use. “Some do not tolerate these effects and abandon the medication. As a result, the virus can become resistant to the drugs”, warns the infectologist.

6. New drug cocktails have made AIDS a chronic disease like hypertension.
Myth. You 21 antiretrovirals available in the public network do not kill the virus. Even if the viral load remains undetectable, that is, there is no more evidence of HIV in the blood, it may have hidden in the brain, ganglia and other places safe from our defense system and attack again, hence the need to use the medication for life, informs Jean Gorinchteyn. Despite the possibility of keeping HIV under control, the infectologist says that it is not possible to compare this infection to other chronic diseases because it requires care during sex and when having children and carriers suffer prejudice.

7. There must be penetration to transmit the virus.
Myth. Currently, the main route of transmission is sexual, so the greatest care is to use a condom at all times during intercourse, whether homosexual or heterosexual. “Not just for penetration of the penis into the vagina or the penis into the anus, but before any contact with the mucosa, semen and vaginal secretions, including oral sex”, recommends Iracema Teixeira. Other important precautions: not sharing syringes, needles and sharp objects and choosing dentists, manicurists and places for tattooing with the utmost care.

8. Kiss transmits AIDS.
Myth. “HIV was found in saliva, but its composition manages to neutralize it, unless the person has a serious lesion in the mouth”, replies Iracema Teixeira.

9. Every condom is 100% reliable.
Myth. Before having sex, check if the product is within its expiration date and if it has Inmetro certification. “The fluorescent and flavored ones should only be used as part of the game”, advises Iracema Teixeira. “At the time, choose a certified condom. Untested condoms may have microperforations, where the virus passes through.” Do not store in places exposed to the sun, such as the glove compartment. Do not open the package with your teeth and carefully unroll it, holding the end to leave a gap for air.

10. Those in a stable relationship can dispense with condoms.
Myth. “Giving up the condom requires a very clear conversation and a high degree of trust between the couple, in addition to the certainty that both are not infected.” For Iracema Teixeira, the focus cannot be on monogamy. “Betrayals happen. Hence the importance of making a commitment to use condoms in extramarital relationships to preserve those you love.”