Despite decades of progress in science and awareness, misinformation about HIV continues to spread almost as quickly as the virus once did. Myths and stigma not only harm those living with HIV but also prevent others from getting tested, treated, or protected. Today, HIV is a manageable health condition — not a death sentence — and understanding the facts is the first step toward ending both the epidemic and the prejudice surrounding it. In this mythbusting guide, we’ll separate fact from fiction and shine a light on what HIV really is, how it’s transmitted, and how people can live long, healthy lives with the virus.

❤️ 1. Myth: HIV and AIDS are the same thing.

Fact:
They’re not the same.

  • HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that attacks the immune system.

  • AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is the most advanced stage of HIV. This is when the immune system is severely weakened and/or a person has started to develop one or more opportunistic infections as a result of a weakened immune system.

  • With treatment, most people with HIV never develop AIDS.

🧬 2. Myth: HIV is a death sentence.

Fact:
With modern antiretroviral treatment (ART), people with HIV can live long, healthy, normal lives. HIV is now a manageable chronic condition, not a death sentence.

🤝 3. Myth: You can get HIV from casual contact.

Fact:
You cannot get HIV from hugging, kissing, shaking hands, sharing toilets, or sharing dishes. HIV is transmitted only through:

  • Unprotected sex with an HIV-positive person (without viral suppression)

  • Sharing needles or syringes

  • Mother-to-child transmission (during birth or breastfeeding, if untreated)

  • Rarely, through contaminated blood transfusions (in places without routine screening).

💋 4. Myth: HIV can be spread through saliva, tears, or sweat.

Fact:
HIV is not transmitted through saliva, tears, or sweat. These fluids do not contain enough virus to infect anyone.

🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏾 5. Myth: Only gay men and sex workers get HIV.

Fact:
HIV can affect anyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, race, or social status. The virus spreads through behaviors, not identities.

🩸 6. Myth: If both partners are HIV-positive, protection isn’t needed.

Fact:
Even if both partners have HIV, using protection and staying on treatment are important to prevent superinfection(infection with a different HIV strain) and other STIs.

👶 7. Myth: A woman with HIV will always pass it to her baby.

Fact:
With proper treatment during pregnancy and delivery, and appropriate infant care, the risk of mother-to-child transmission is less than 1%. Many people with HIV give birth to HIV-negative children.

🧫 8. Myth: You can tell who has HIV by looking at them.

Fact:
You can’t tell who has HIV based on appearance. Many people with HIV look completely healthy, especially when they’re on treatment. The only way to know is through testing.

💊 9. Myth: People with HIV can’t have sex or relationships.

Fact:
People living with HIV can absolutely have healthy, loving relationships and sex lives. When someone is on effective treatment and their viral load is undetectable, they cannot transmit HIV — a fact known as U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable).

🌍 10. Myth: HIV is no longer a problem.

Fact:
While treatment has improved, HIV is still a global public health issue. Stigma, misinformation, and unequal access to healthcare continue to fuel new infections — so education and compassion remain vital.