Myths about HIV infection. Where do the legs of the most dense stereotypes about the disease come from?

Myth 1. HIV doesn't exist

People who promote this claim are called HIV dissidents. Moreover, some of them have a positive status, that is, they actually reject their own diagnosis. Largely because of this, the myth is still alive. Denial is a powerful psychological defense mechanism, and if a person finds “authoritative” confirmation of a theory for himself, it is easier for him to believe that HIV was allegedly invented by pharmaceutical companies.

Pseudo-facts in support of this idea are indeed circulating on the Internet, but they have nothing to do with the real situation with the virus. One of the first HIV dissidents was a biologist Peter Duesberg. He was involved in cancer research, but had never worked with the immunodeficiency virus. Nevertheless, Duesberg published an article in which he argued that HIV does not exist. The text has not been peer-reviewed, meaning no scientist has confirmed the accuracy of the information. But HIV dissidents still actively quote the publication.

Another follower of the movement turned out to be President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki. For nearly 10 years, he tried to prevent doctors from treating HIV patients. This led to a real disaster - epidemiologists believe that it is premature died more than 300 thousand people. In total, since its discovery, the virus carried away over 40 million lives worldwide. The spread of infection can be stopped if patients with HIV know their status and take antiretroviral therapy - these are drugs that block virus reproduction.

Myth 2. People don't live long with this disease.

The HIV epidemic began not long ago. Researchers are still did not come There is no consensus on the identity of patient zero, but deaths began to be recorded in the United States in the late 1960s. Antiretroviral therapy, which changed the status of HIV from a “fatal disease” to a “chronically manageable infection” appeared only in 1996. Before this, the mortality rate was indeed high.

Part of the myth is that it is impossible to defeat the virus once and for all. But people live with various chronic diseases, taking medications for years. And HIV is no exception. Without treatment average life expectancy The patient is 11 years old. And thanks to antiretroviral therapy, it is possible meet extreme old age and die from causes unrelated to infection. The main thing is regularly accept medications even if you feel well. With breaks in treatment, the disease may progress.

Myth 3. HIV infection occurs only in people who lead a disordered lifestyle

The view that HIV is a problem exclusively of injecting drug users, commercial sex workers and homosexuals has been close to reality 30 years ago, but not now. Representatives of these groups have a really high risk of contracting HIV, but the virus has long been released into the general population. Now the most common The method of transmission of HIV is unprotected sexual contact in a heterosexual couple.

Probably, the popularity of the myth was facilitated by high-profile medical stories - just remember Freddie Mercury, who, according to rumors, practiced relationships with men. In addition, the human brain is susceptible to cognitive biases, such as belief in a just world. She makes you think that everyone gets what they deserve. And if a person is “normal”, then nothing bad will happen to him. In fact, many people are at risk of getting sick.

Even if a person is not in a high-risk group, it is important to avoid potentially dangerous situations and remember to take preventive measures - this will help minimize the likelihood of infection. For example, always use a condom if your partner's HIV status is unknown.

Myth 4. A woman with HIV cannot give birth to a healthy child

This stereotype is also associated with those times when the virus was little studied and pregnant women were not required to take an HIV test. Sometimes women found out about their status late in pregnancy or even after giving birth. Plus, medicine at that time could not yet offer effective therapy for people living with HIV.

The infection can indeed be transmitted to the child from the mother, especially in the later stages. In addition, the baby can become infected during childbirth and breastfeeding. However, there is an important caveat: this risk is high when a woman does not take therapy. If a pregnant woman with HIV is under the supervision of an infectious disease doctor and completes all stages of chemoprophylaxis, she Maybe give birth to a completely healthy child.

There is a similar myth that antiretroviral therapy should be stopped during pregnancy because it is dangerous for the baby. Actually the drugs do not influence on the growth and development of the child and do not threaten the normal course of pregnancy. And refusal of treatment can not only increase the likelihood of transmitting the virus to the baby, but also increase the risk of other infections due to the vulnerability of the immune system.

Myth 5. The virus can be caught through a kiss or sharing utensils

This myth is the antipode of the stereotype about “decent people who will never be affected by illness.” But he is perhaps even more dangerous. As long as society believes that it is possible to become infected at home, the stigmatization of people living with HIV will not disappear.

The main reason for the persistence of this myth is fear. People often fear for their lives, health and future. They are afraid of becoming what others label, so they isolate themselves from people with HIV and continue to believe in unrealistic transmission routes. Actually ways infection three:

1. Through blood. Typically when using a non-sterile syringe when injecting drugs.
2. Through unprotected sex.
3. From mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

Virus in the environment dies quickly. It can also be transmitted by airborne droplets or touch not able to. You cannot become infected with HIV by sharing the same plate, shaking hands, hugging or kissing. Therefore, you should not be afraid of people with HIV infection. It is important to know the routes of transmission and avoid situations in which the likelihood of infection increases.

Myth 6. Tests will help detect HIV immediately after casual sex

Compared to other misconceptions, this myth is relatively harmless, because it has the right message: you really need to get tested to know your HIV status. But there is no point in doing this as quickly as possible after risky contact: even the most modern test the morning after unprotected sex will not show anything. Most tests determine the presence of infection in the body based on antibodies produced by the immune system. This process lasts 14–28 days after infection.

In the first months, an HIV carrier is considered the most infectiously dangerous, since there is a lot of virus in his body, and there are not yet enough antibodies to be detected by test systems. Because of “clean” certificates, a person may not know that he is spreading the disease, neglect the rules of prevention and not use a condom.

Most likely, the stereotype arose due to lack of awareness among people. If there was a risky situation and the partner’s HIV status is unknown, the first test need to go after 4-6 weeks, the second - after three months. If the result is negative according to the recommendations sanitary rules the analysis is taken again after six months and a year. Of course, most people have antibodies to HIV appear no later than three months, but it is better to completely eliminate the possibility of infection.

It is important to remember that testing does not equal prevention. If a person's actions continue to be risky, there is a chance that future tests will show a positive result. Therefore, it is worth not only getting checked regularly, but also thinking about how to reduce the risk of infection and change your behavior to a more protected one.