Sharing toilets and swimming pools with AIDS patients will cause infection? 6 common myths about AIDS

December 1 is the 36th World AIDS Day. This year's theme is "Gathering social forces to fight AIDS together."

There are still many misunderstandings about AIDS, such as "sharing toilets and swimming pools with AIDS patients will cause AIDS" and "HIV can only be transmitted through sexual contact"... We have compiled some common misconceptions to help everyone understand AIDS correctly. Only with a correct understanding can we better prevent it.

Can AIDS be cured?

There is currently no fundamental cure for AIDS, but antiviral treatment can effectively control the virus, allowing patients to live a relatively healthy life, improve their quality of life, and prolong their life.

Scientists are working hard to eventually find a cure for HIV. Importantly, early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and ongoing monitoring are key to controlling and managing HIV and AIDS.

People with HIV or AIDS

Is there a high risk of infection from sharing toilets and swimming pools?

HIV is not transmitted through ordinary social contact, air, water, food, toilets or swimming pools. The virus is mainly transmitted through blood, sexual intercourse, shared syringes, mother-to-child transmission, etc. Therefore, using public facilities with HIV-infected or AIDS patients does not increase the risk of infection.

Although general social contact does not lead to HIV infection, basic hygiene habits, such as frequent hand washing, are still needed to prevent the spread of other diseases. Understanding how HIV is transmitted can help reduce unnecessary panic and misunderstandings, and promote inclusion and support for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Image source: pixabay

Is there no “window period” for HIV testing?

The "window period" of HIV testing refers to the period after HIV infection when the virus enters the body but has not yet produced enough antibodies in the blood to be detected by standard HIV antibody testing methods. The duration of the window period varies by individual and different testing methods, but nucleic acid can usually be detected about 10 days after infection.

The importance of the window period is that HIV antibody tests during this period may give false negative results, meaning that the infected person is actually carrying HIV. This is because antibody tests rely on detecting HIV antibodies produced by the body, and antibody levels may not be high enough to be detected during the window period.

To reduce the risk of false negative results, other HIV testing methods are sometimes used, such as nucleic acid testing (NAT) or antigen-antibody combination testing (Fourth Generation HIV Test). These testing methods can detect HIV at an earlier stage after infection, reducing the impact of the window period.

Therefore, if you are concerned that you may have been infected with HIV, it is recommended that you consult a healthcare professional who can advise you on the appropriate test and explain the concept of the window period to ensure that you get an accurate test result. If you test negative during the window period, you may need to retest after the window period to confirm the result.

Is HIV only transmitted through sexual contact?

HIV can be spread in many other ways, sexual contact is not the only way. Here are some ways HIV can be spread:

Sexual Behavior: HIV can be spread through unprotected sex, including oral, anal, and vaginal sex. Anyone can be infected with HIV, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, if one of the partners is infected with the virus and does not take proper precautions.

Sharing syringes: Using HIV-infected syringes or needles for injection drug use is a high-risk behavior because it can lead to HIV transmission. This is not limited to drug users, but can also involve syringe sharing or unsterile syringes in medical procedures.

Mother-to-child transmission: When a pregnant woman is infected with HIV, she can transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. However, the risk of this transmission can be significantly reduced by receiving appropriate medical care, antiretroviral treatment, and mother-to-child prevention measures.

Blood and blood products: Contact with contaminated blood or blood products, such as unsterilized syringes, blood transfusions or substandard blood products, can also lead to HIV transmission.

It is important to provide correct information and educate people to take appropriate preventive measures such as using condoms, avoiding sharing syringes, getting HIV tested, and providing mother-to-child prevention measures to reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

Once infected with HIV

Is it destined to develop into AIDS?

Not everyone infected with HIV will develop AIDS. Timely antiviral treatment, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and monitoring immune system function can effectively slow the progression of the disease. The three stages of HIV infection are:

1) Acute infection period: After acute HIV infection, symptoms such as fever, sore throat, nausea, and joint pain may occur, which may last for 1 to 3 weeks. At this time, HIV antibodies are still negative, which is usually called the window period, and HIV nucleic acid can be detected about 10 days after infection. At this time, it is easy to ignore these symptoms and mistakenly think they are "common colds". For high-risk groups who have experienced such situations, they need to undergo systematic HIV-related tests as soon as possible.

2) Asymptomatic period: After the acute infection period, many HIV-infected people may not have any obvious symptoms for a long time. This is called the asymptomatic period. During this period, the virus continues to destroy immune function, but may not cause obvious clinical symptoms.

3) AIDS: If left untreated, HIV infection may eventually develop into AIDS, a condition in which the immune system is severely impaired, making the patient susceptible to serious illnesses and malignancies.

Individual differences: Everyone's immune system and viral response are different. Some people may not develop AIDS until many years later, while others may develop AIDS relatively quickly after infection. Therefore, the time span varies from person to person.

In conclusion, HIV infection does not mean that you will definitely develop into AIDS. Timely antiviral treatment, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, following medical advice, and monitoring immune system function can help patients delay or avoid progression to the AIDS stage. Therefore, early diagnosis, treatment, and regular medical monitoring are important to minimize the risk of HIV infection.

Only people with obvious symptoms

Do I need an HIV test?

One of the characteristics of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection is that many people may not have obvious symptoms in the early stages of infection. However, HIV infection is associated with high-risk sexual behavior. Therefore, it is unwise to wait until obvious symptoms appear before taking an HIV test.

Importance of early diagnosis: Early diagnosis is crucial for early initiation of antiretroviral treatment, reducing the risk of HIV transmission, and improving the patient's quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended that anyone at risk of HIV infection undergo regular HIV testing without waiting for obvious symptoms. The earlier antiretroviral treatment is started after the test is confirmed, the less damage to the human immune function. Most patients who are discovered late often need to spend more medical resources to treat, and some patients may not be cured.

Self-protection and public health: Through early HIV testing, individuals can know their HIV infection status and take appropriate preventive measures. In addition, early diagnosis can also help reduce the spread of the virus, thereby helping to control the epidemic.

In conclusion, it is unwise to wait until obvious symptoms appear before getting tested for HIV, because HIV infection can be latent and asymptomatic. Regular HIV testing is an important strategy for preventing and controlling HIV transmission, especially for those who belong to high-risk groups. Early diagnosis can improve individual health and contribute to public health.

These myths help dispel misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, provide accurate information, and help people better understand the correct ways to prevent, test, and manage the disease. Timely access to accurate information is crucial to reducing social stigma and panic about HIV/AIDS and taking preventive measures. Through education and the dissemination of correct knowledge, we can reduce stigma, panic, and the spread of the virus, thereby better controlling and preventing HIV/AIDS.

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by: Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology

Producer｜China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Li Nannan, Second-level Researcher of Hunan Association for Science and Technology, Expert on Science Popularization in China, Chinese Science Writer (Medical Field)

Reviewer: Tang Wei, deputy chief physician, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Changsha First Hospital