Frequently Asked Questions
HIV is a very complex disease. Knowing the answers to your questions is essential to a long and healthy life. There are so many questions regarding HIV and AIDS. But which are asked the most often? Which are the most important? Your guide has assembled what he believes to be the top ten.

How did I get HIV?
"I can't believe I'm HIV positive." Are you asking yourself "how did this happen"? You're not alone. In the first few hours after you are diagnosed one of the first questions is how did this happen?

HIV is transmitted from person to person by coming in contact with infected bodily fluids. There are several ways to come in contact with these fluids such as having unprotected sexual contact (oral, vaginal, or anal) and sharing needles while injecting drugs. HIV can not be passed between two people by hugging, kissing, or other types of casual contact.

I found out I'm positive...now what?
What do I do now that I'm positive? That is a common questions that needs to be answered. Taking the correct first steps after diagnosis can have long term benefits.

Once it has been determined you have HIV, you will choose a doctor specializing in HIV to monitor your illness. During your initial visits he or she will do a complete physical exam, collect blood for several different blood tests, and ask you questions about your past medical and social history. Some of these questions may seem very personal to you but are necessary for your doctor to give you the best possible care. These initial visits are a perfect time for you to establish open communication with your doctor. Many HIV treatment programs will have social workers, nutritionists and other medical professionals to assist you in these difficult first days.

Is HIV & AIDS the same thing?
The terms are often used interchangeably. The media and most lay people equate the two. But are they the same thing? There are some very important differences you need to know.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the body's immune system by attaching to the CD4 cell. When it does, HIV weakens the body's natural ability to fight off infection. Simply put, HIV weakens the body's immune system.

The most serious of these OIs are called AIDS defining illnesses. When the person becomes ill with one of the AIDS defining illnesses, he or she is said to have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

Can I get HIV from oral sex?
How safe is oral sex? Rumor has it that there is no HIV risk at all. You'd be surprised at just how risky oral sex is. Find out for yourself here.

While the HIV risk is much less than anal or vaginal sexual intercourse, it is possible for you to become infected with HIV while performing oral sex. There have been a few cases of HIV transmission from performing oral sex on a person infected with HIV. While no one knows exactly what the degree of risk is, evidence suggests that the risk is much less than that of unprotected anal or vaginal sex.

Blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, and vaginal fluid all contain HIV. Cells in the mucous membrane lining of the mouth allow HIV into the lymph nodes or the bloodstream. The HIV risk increases if:

you have cuts or sores around or in your mouth or throat
your partner ejaculates in your mouth
your partner has another sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Oral Sex With a Man - If you choose to have oral sex, and your partner is male, use a latex condom.
If you or your partner is allergic to latex, plastic (polyurethane) condoms should be used. Research has shown the effectiveness of latex condoms in preventing the transmission of HIV. Condoms are not risk-free, but they greatly reduce your risk of becoming HIV-infected if your partner has the virus.

Oral Sex With a Woman - If you choose to have oral sex, and your partner is female, use a latex barrier (such as a dental dam or a cut-open condom that makes a square) between your mouth and the vagina. Plastic food wrap also can be used as a barrier.

How long does it take HIV to cause AIDS
Left untreated, HIV will eventually cause AIDS defining illnesses. BUt how long will that take? The answer is not as simple as you may think.

Since 1992, scientists have estimated that about half the people with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years after becoming infected. This time varies greatly from person to person and can depend on many factors, including a person's health status, I soon they get into HIV care, if they are on medications, and finally health-related choices and behaviors they make.

Today there are medical treatments that can slow down the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system. There are other treatments that can prevent or cure some of the illnesses associated with AIDS, though the treatments do not cure HIV itself. As with other diseases, early detection offers more options for treatment, earlier preventative care, and therefore a better long-term prognosis.

Can I get HIV from hugging, kissing, or sharing a glass?
One very common question is if using the same towel, drinking glass, hugging, kissing, or other types of casual contact can transmit HIV. Here's your answer.

No. HIV is not transmitted by day-to-day contact in the workplace, schools, or social settings. HIV is not transmitted through shaking hands, hugging, or a casual kiss. You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, a drinking fountain, a door knob, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets.

A small number of cases of transmission have been reported in which a person became infected with HIV as a result of contact with blood or other body secretions from an HIV-infected person in the household. Although contact with blood and other body substances can occur in households, transmission of HIV is rare in this setting. However, persons infected with HIV and persons providing home care for those who are HIV-infected should be fully educated and trained regarding universal precautions and appropriate infection-control techniques.

HIV is not an airborne or food-borne virus, and it does not live long outside the body.

HIV can be found in the blood, semen, or vaginal fluid of an infected person. The three main ways HIV is transmitted is through having sex (anal, vaginal, or oral) with someone infected with HIV, through sharing needles and syringes with someone who has HIV and through exposure (in the case of infants) to HIV before or during childbirth, or through breast feeding.