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Pulse: The Top 5 HIV Myths
ESSENCE
December 2005
By: Kai Wright
Additional reporting by: Zulaika Jumaralli
You may think you know everything there is to know about HIV. But here are
some common – and persistent – misperceptions we have about the
deadly virus that may affect our grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters,
aunts, cousins and girlfriends.
 Myth #1
HIV and AIDS are the same thing.
Using HIV and AIDS interchangeable is like calling snow flurries a blizzard:
You can contract HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) through the exchange of
semen, vaginal fluid and blood, but it doesn't mean that you have AIDS. Doctors
consider an HIV-positive person to have AIDS only after the virus has worn
down her immune system so much that she's vulnerable to infection, such as
pneumonia, that she could otherwise fight off. (For more basics, log on to
aidsmeds.com.)
Myth #2
Knowing who's "on the DL" will save Black women from HIV.
Learning your partner's sexual and drug history is important. But the single
most effective way to protect yourself is to use a condom every time. Precious
Jackson, an AIDS education coordinator at Women Alive in Los Angeles, knows
this firsthand. She go the virus while in a relationship with a straight man
who didn't like condoms – and didn't know he had HIV. "Woman must
take their health into their own hands, regardless of whom they're with," she
says. Fretting over whether you can trust a man is pointless, she counsels: "You
can trust you."
Myth #3
Woman can't give men HIV.
It's true that it's much harder for men to get HIV from women: Men have fewer
areas on the penis where the virus can enter the bloodstream – at the
urethra (the opening of the tip) and through cuts or sores on the shaft. But
if a partner has an untreated STD like syphilis or gonorrhea, which can break
the skin, the risk of his contracting HIV or her passing it on greatly increases.
This is troubling as some people don't show symptoms of STD's right away.
Myth #4
Only rich people like Magic Johnson can afford to be so healthy with HIV.
Deep pockets go a long way, but the federally funded Ryan White CARE Act has
kept lower income folks alive via free programs administered by clinics and
AIDS organizations. These offer everything from transportation to substance-abuse
counseling to life-saving medicines. But Ryan White funds aren't unlimited.
Activists say the government's appropriations haven't kept pace with riding
infection rates and the number of folks living with HIV (rather than dying
quickly of AIDS.). "The money doesn't go as far as it used to," says
Damon Dozier, spokesperson for the National Minority AIDS Council. "The
CARE Act doesn't [provide] the funds to meet the needs of this emerging epidemic." To
support fund-raising efforts, visit CampaignToEndAIDS.org and
join the National minority AIDS Council's list-serve (nmac.org/public_policy).
Myth #5
Black churches aren't doing enough to fight AIDS.
Thanks to the efforts of organizations such as The Balm in Gilead,
an international organization that educates Black clergy about HIV and AIDS
issues, hundreds of African-American congregations have created AIDS ministries
that provide a range of services including testing and counseling. To get your
church involved, go to balmingilead.org.
©2005 ESSENCE
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