Welcome to Fightaids Ghana

1. Can you find out if a person lives with HIV or AIDS just by looking?

False. A person can live with HIV without any symptoms of disease. The first stage of HIV infection, which may be a period of more than 15 years, the person looks healthy and has no signs or symptoms of disease. When there are specific diseases and infections a person reaches the stage AIDS. Nor at this stage can you tell at a glance whether a person is living with HIV or AIDS because the person becomes seriously ill from diseases and common infections such as tuberculosis. Some people acquire Karposi Sarcoma, a type of skin cancer that affects many people living with HIV, and manifests with spots.

2. Can you get HIV by sharing a glass, knives, and forks?

False. In order to transmit the virus needs a sufficient amount of the virus itself and an open door (a wound). Body fluids that contain most amounts of virus are blood, semen, breast milk and vaginal fluid. Saliva and tears contain very little amount of the virus, and therefore is not enough to transmit the virus.

3. Is it possible for a mother living with HIV to transmit the virus to her baby by giving breast milk?

Correct. A mother living with HIV can transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or through breast milk. With the proper use of antiretroviral therapy for mother and baby transmission to the baby can be reduced to 8%. Without the use of drugs the possibility of HIV transmission from mother to child is 30%.

4. One can get HIV by having sex without a condom with a person living with HIV.

Correct. The condom is one of the best and most effective preventive measure against HIV transmission. Also abstinence, no sex for a while, and monogamy, having one partner and being faithful to each other, are ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV.

5. Is there a vaccine to protect against HIV infection?

False. There is no vaccine to protect against the transmission of HIV. In addition, once living with the virus it can not be removed. At the moment there is no cure for HIV or AIDS, but there are antiretroviral drugs that improve the quality and length of life.

6. Does HIV weakens the body's ability to fight off infections?

Correct. The virus destroys the immune system cells called CD4. These cells protect the human being by fighting off infections and diseases. By destroying this defense the person becomes more and more vulnerable to diseases and infections that are not harmful to people with a body defense system in normal function.

7. Can insects transmit HIV?

False. While insects are able to transmit blood from one person to another, the amount of blood is not enough to make an HIV transmission. In addition, the virus can only survive a few minutes outside the human body.

8. Is HIV the virus that causes AIDS?

Correct. HIV is not synonymous with AIDS. AIDS is one stage of infection with HIV-specific symptoms and signs.