Frequently asked
questions (FAQ) about HIV/AIDS
FAQ List
What is the difference between
HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. Most people who have HIV
have no symptoms at all, but can still give the virus to other
people. On average, it can take ten years for someone who has
HIV to develop AIDS. AIDS is a serious condition in which the
body's ability to resist getting sick is seriously weakened.
Once a person develops AIDS, mild diseases like colds and flu
can lead to death. A person with AIDS is also very likely to
get other, less common diseases like tuberculosis that most
healthy people don't get very easily.
Can I become infected with HIV by shaking
hands with, kissing, eating the same food as, or being sneezed
or coughed on by someone who has HIV? Can I get HIV from a toilet
seat? Or by being bitten by an infected mosquito? Or from a
swimming pool?
No. This is because HIV is not an airborne, water-borne or
food-borne virus. HIV can be passed from one person to another
only when people exchange blood or sexual fluids (like semen
or vaginal secretions). HIV cannot survive for very long outside
of the human body. So you can't get HIV by having ordinary social
contact with an infected person.
How does a person get HIV?
These are the main ways in which someone can become infected
with HIV:
- Having vaginal or anal sex without a condom with someone
who is infected.
- Having contact with the blood of someone who has HIV. This
could be having a blood transfusion from someone who is infected
with HIV
- From a mother who has HIV to her baby: HIV can pass to
the baby during pregnancy, during the birth of the baby, or
through breast-feeding. Only about one in three babies born
to HIV-positive mothers get HIV.
- Receiving an injection from an unsterilized needle that
was previously used by someone with HIV.
If I think I might have been exposed
to HIV, can I find out if I have HIV by getting tested right
away?
No. Infection with HIV has no specific symptoms. The only way
you can find out if you are infected with HIV is by having an
HIV test, a test that looks for antibodies to HIV in your blood.
Antibodies are made by your body to try to fight infection.
But usually, it takes about 3 months after HIV infection for
people to develop antibodies to HIV.
Getting an HIV test before the 3-month period is up can result
in an unclear test result, because an infected person may not
yet have developed antibodies to HIV. It is best to wait at
least three months after the last time you could have been exposed
to HIV (i.e., having sex without a condom or having an injection
from a needle that could have been contaminated) before taking
the test. Even if your test is negative after 3 months, some
test centers may recommend testing again at 6 months, just to
be extra sure.
It is also important that you take precautions not to further
expose yourself to HIV if you have been exposed and are waiting
to have the HIV test. If you are sexually active, you should
use a condom every time you have sex, and you should be careful
to avoid contact with other people's blood and needles that
could be contaminated.
How long will the HIV test take?
HIV tests don't take very long. The test involves taking a
small sample of blood, which is analyzed for the presence of
HIV antibodies. Depending on the kind of test used by the center
you go to, you can get your test result in a few hours or the
next day.
I want to find out whether I could have
HIV, but first, I want to be able to ask an expert questions
about HIV and the HIV test. I'm also scared the test could be
positive, and want to be able to talk through the results with
someone who can help me understand what they mean. What should
I do?
You may want to consider voluntary counseling and testing
(VCT). VCT is a process of receiving counseling before and after
an HIV test to help you prepare for the test and help you understand
your test results. A trained counselor who knows about HIV and
AIDS, and understands the stress you might be feeling about
not knowing whether you are infected with HIV. The counselor
can also help you understand your test results. If your test
is negative, the counselor can help you decide ways to reduce
your risk of becoming infected with HIV in the future. If your
test is positive, the counselor can help you understand what
being HIV-positive means, and help you learn ways to stay healthy
for a long time. The counselor can also help you identify ways
to avoid infecting other people with HIV, and sources of support
for you. Visit
the AIDS Resource Center website (www.etharc.org) for contact
information of VCT sites in Ethiopia.
What do my HIV test results mean?
A positive result means:
- You are HIV-positive, meaning the virus that eventually
leads to AIDS was found in your body.
- Being HIV-positive means that you could infect others with
HIV if you have unprotected sex.
- Finding out you are HIV-positive can be a traumatic experience.
Many people worry about what their families, friends, and
community will think. Talking to a counselor can help.
A positive result does NOT mean:
- You have AIDS.
- You will die soon. People who take good care of their bodies
by eating nutritious food, maintaining good hygiene, and avoiding
contact with those who are sick can live for many years with
HIV.
A negative result means:
- No antibodies were found in your blood at this time.
A negative result does NOT mean:
- You are not infected with HIV (if you could have been exposed
to HIV at any time in the last 3-6 months).
- You are immune to AIDS or will never get AIDS.
If I am an HIV-positive woman who is
pregnant or thinking about it, are there things I need to know
about how passing HIV infection to my baby?
Yes. A pregnant woman can pass HIV/AIDS to her baby while
she is pregnant or during the birth of the baby. A mother can
also pass HIV/AIDS on to her baby through breastfeeding (there
are small amounts of HIV in the breast milk of HIV-infected
women). About one out of three babies born to HIV-positive mothers
in Ethiopia get HIV/AIDS in one of these ways.
If a woman is HIV-positive, there are several ways to reduce
the likelihood she will pass the HIV infection on to her baby.
A doctor might give her drugs such as zidovudine (AZT) and nevirapine
(if they are available) to a pregnant woman with HIV/AIDS to
decrease her chance of passing the infection to her baby. Good
nutrition and antenatal care can also reduce this risk. An HIV-positive
woman may wish to talk to a counselor or doctor about the advantages
and disadvantages of breastfeeding her baby.
Testing pregnant women for HIV is not routine in Ethiopia.
However, if a woman knows whether or not she is HIV-positive,
she can make careful decisions to protect the health of her
child if she is pregnant or plans to become pregnant.
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