7 myths about HIV/AIDS Charlie Sheen reminded us of
Who would have thought that actor and all-round controversial Charlie Sheen would be the source to point out the gaps and inaccuracies surrounding how we talk about HIV?
Charlie Sheen publicly disclosed his status as HIV-positive, describing his struggle to come to terms with the diagnosis in harrowing detail. The actor says he was diagnosed four years ago - adding it is a 'hard three letters to absorb'.
In perhaps the most powerful moment of his interview, Sheen said he decided to disclose his status publicly to "put a stop to this barrage of attacks of sub-truths and very harmful and mercurial stories that threaten the health of so many others."
As a result he brought to our attention that are still many myths about HIV we need to dispel.
Myth 1: Promiscuity and drug addiction is the root cause of HIV/AIDS.
Every day 600 babies are born with HIV, down from 1,400 in 2000. Join us & @RED to keep taking #onestep4RED pic.twitter.com/3bQK9jdnMY
— Bank of America (@BankofAmerica) November 3, 2015Having multiple sexual partners or sharing needles while using drugs certainly increases your risk of coming into contact with someone carrying the HIV virus, but policing behavior does more to hinder the conversation around HIV/AIDS than help it.
Myth 2: HIV/AIDS is solely a problem for gay men and people of color.
While it's true that two-thirds of new cases of HIV/AIDS in the U.S. are among men who have sex with men, that doesn't account for the fact that globally. It isn't solely a problem for any community; it is a problem for society
Myth 3: If you have unprotected sex with someone who is positive, chances are you will contract the disease.
Andrew Pulsipher's story of living with HIV for 34 years is helping to end HIV stigma.
http://t.co/Xd9bOug5K4 pic.twitter.com/B7vqD8lZYp
— ARE (@AIDS_Response) August 14, 2015In his disclosure, Sheen used a word that's probably new to the general public — "undetectable." In saying that his viral load is undetectable, Sheen is saying that his treatment over the last four years is working so well that the level of virus is too low to be measured in his blood.
Being "undetectable" is the goal of HIV treatment — it largely guarantees a high quality of life and an extremely low chance of transmission.Myth 4: Criminalizing HIV/AIDS will eradicate infections.
Not disclosing your HIV status to a sexual partner is a crime in most parts of the world. But it furthers systemic discrimination more than actual protection.
Criminalisation, advocates say, encourages the public not to get tested because of the benefits of ignorance. Not knowing your status, after all, is a defense and quasi-loophole to HIV criminalisation laws.
Myth 5: If you contract HIV/AIDS, you will die from HIV/AIDS.
Treatment has come a long way from the early days of the epidemic, making living with HIV very possible It's nowhere near the death sentence we've always been told about.862,000 premature deaths avoided by the progress in fighting #HIV #AIDS https://t.co/Qn8B4iFXAw pic.twitter.com/XCx2rvgpSI
— PhRMA (@PhRMA) November 17, 2015That's huge progress from where we once were — and it's largely due to better, more effective medication.
Knowing the truth behind the myths is just one step — next comes advocating for the inclusion of those living with HIV/AIDS, and supporting them in their diagnosis.
HIV/AIDS hot line: 0800 212506 - Training, counseling and information