Frequently asked questions - FAQ

About HIV/AIDS

• What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
• 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?
• How does a person get HIV?
• If I think I might have been exposed to HIV, can I find out if I have HIV by getting tested right away?
• How long will the HIV test take?
• 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?
• What do my HIV test results mean?
• 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?

About Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART)

• What is Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART)?
• What are Anti Retroviral Drugs (ARV)?
• Are ARVs a cure for AIDS?
• How should an HIV positive person access ART?
• When does an HIV patient need to start ART?
• How long should an HIV patient be on ART and why?
• Can an HIV patient interrupt taking ARVs for any reason?
• What are the side effects of ARV?
• Do ARVs eliminate the transmission of HIV/AIDS?
• Can children be on ART?
• Can HIV positive pregnant women be on ART?
• What are the nutrition requirements and how important are they?

About Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

• What are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
• Are sexually transmitted infections (STIs) different from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
• How common are STDs?
• What is the relationship between STDs and HIV?
• Why can it be hard to notice if I have an STD?
• What are the symptoms of common STDs?
• What should I do if I think I might have an STD?
• Why is knowing whether I have an STD important if I am pregnant or planning to become pregnant?
• How can I avoid getting an STD?
• Where can I get more information on STDs?

About Tuberculosis (TB)

• What is tuberculosis (TB)?
• What is the difference between TB infection and TB disease?
• What are the symptoms of TB disease?
• How does a person get infected with TB?
• Why is the number of TB disease cases increasing every year?
• What makes TB infection turn into TB disease?
• What is the relationship between HIV and TB?
• How can I find out if I have TB disease?
• How is TB treated?
• Why is TB becoming harder to treat?
• How long does treatment take to cure TB disease?
• Why is it important to take medication for TB every day for the whole treatment period?

For additional resources please visit the Ethiopian AIDS Resource Center website at www.etharc.org.