HIV is the same as AIDS.
HIV can be passed by sharing dishes or food.
HIV can be transmitted through swimming pools and hot tubs.
You can tell if someone has HIV by looking at them.
AIDS is only a gay disease.
Only sexually promiscuous people get HIV.
Condoms are not effective because HIV can pass through latex. 
People over 50 don't get HIV.
AIDS is going away.



AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a collection of illnesses caused by infection with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Knowing the difference between these two terms is important.

No one actually contracts AIDS. A person is first infected with HIV, and later might develop AIDS. HIV attacks the body’s immune system, leaving it vulnerable to other opportunistic diseases and infections, some of which represent AIDS-defining illnesses.



HIV is not transmitted through casual contact, so it is impossible to get it through sharing dishes, glasses, eating utensils, or food.

HIV is present in the blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk of people infected with the virus. HIV is transmitted from one person to another through: unprotected sex (without a condom); shared needles (for shooting drugs); and childbirth from an infected mother to a newborn, or through contaminated breast milk.

Years ago, HIV was also transmitted through transfusions of infected blood and blood products, but now the blood supply is screened very carefully and there is almost no risk.



Both the hot water and the chemicals used in swimming pools and hot tubs would instantly kill HIV, so there is absolutely no risk of infection.



Only a blood test can confirm a person’s HIV status. There are no tell-tale signs of HIV infection or AIDS. A person can be infected with HIV and not show any symptoms for many years. The virus can be transmitted from an infected person who doesn’t look sick and, in certain cases, can even be transmitted by a person who has not yet tested positive.



On a global scale, heterosexual intercourse is the primary mode of HIV transmission. Although the early cases of AIDS in North America were seen largely among men who had sex with men, trends of infection have changed significantly over the course of the epidemic. In 1987, 78% of HIV+ diagnoses in BC were linked to men who had sex with men, but by 2001 this figure had dropped to 21%. In 2005, the rate had increased somewhat to 45%. By contrast, in 1987 heterosexual transmission accounted for only 3% of cases of HIV infection in BC, but by 2001, this rate had soared to 21%. In 2005, the statistics were 32%.



HIV infection does not require a person to be sexually promiscuous. One instance of unprotected sex can transmit the virus. Sexual transmission is only one route of exposure—HIV is also spread by sharing needles to inject drugs, from mother to infant during birth or through breastfeeding, and, in the past, through transfusions of infected blood and blood products.



You may have heard that HIV is small enough to pass through tiny holes in latex condoms. This is untrue. Latex blocks both HIV and sperm. However, while natural membrane condoms are effective for birth control, some bacteria and viruses can pass through their porous material, making them ineffective in the prevention of STDs (including HIV).



People over 50 represent a rapidly growing segment of the HIV+ population. Approximately 10-12% of positive HIV test reports in Canada each year since the beginning of the epidemic have been among people over 50. Statistics for BC are similar. Also, with more effective treatments, people with HIV and AIDS are living longer and healthier lives, so there is an increasing population of aging HIV+ people. Over the next decade, we can expect to see the first generation of HIV+ seniors.



Although AIDS-related deaths have decreased significantly due to more effective treatments, the number of people with HIV and AIDS increases every year. It is unlikely that HIV will ever go away. The most we can hope for is that an effective vaccine and cure can be found to counter HIV’s effects and prevent the development of AIDS.


Learn more about HIV in BC.