pelf-ism is contagious

Merv is currently on a short blogging hiatus but I know he reads this. So, Merv, no need to buy this month’s CLEO, OK?

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It’s World AIDS Day today, and I am using this opportunity to spread awareness about AIDS and the HIV virus. This is another community message brought to you by CLEO, via pelf-ism is contagious *winks*

When it comes to HIV, separating fact from fiction is the only way to ensure your safety.

- CLEO

MYTH: Only gay men are at risk.
FACT: HIV is mostly spread through sexual contact between women and men. On the singles front, the more times you have unprotected sex, the greater your risk of contracting the virus.

MYTH: If I don’t have anal sex, I won’t get infected.
FACT: HIV is carried in a person’s bodily fluids so it’s passed on through blood, semen and vaginal secretions. Any form of unprotected sexual contact can potentially spread the disease. The risk of transmission increases if you’ve cuts or sores in the vagina, penis, rectum and even the mouth.

MYTH: You can tell a person has HIV because they look sick.
FACT: The way a person looks is no indication of whether they have HIV. HIV carriers may look and feel healthy but they’re still able to transmit the virus to others.

MYTH: Oral sex is totally safe.
FACT: As long as your partner does not come in your mouth, there’s only a small risk of getting HIV from giving him oral sex. The risk goes up if you take semen into your mouth and swallow it - particularly if you’ve got cuts or undetectable bleeding caused by flossing or brushing your teeth, gum disease, ulcers or a sore throat.

MYTH: You can get HIV from kissing.
FACT: Saliva, sweat and tears may contain traces of HIV but don’t transmit the virus. Kissing is safe, hehehe :))

MYTH: HIV is not a big problem now.
FACT: As of December 2005, there are an estimated 40.3 million people living with HIV worldwide. In 2005, 2.6 million people died from AIDS-related conditions. If this is not a big problem, what is?!

MYTH: HIV and AIDS are the same thing.
FACT: HIV destroys certain blood cells which ensure our immune system works properly. AIDS is caused by the HIV and leads to one of a range of illnesses which destroys the normal working of the body’s immune system.

MYTH: The Pill can protect against HIV.
FACT: While birth control pills are extremely effective in preventing pregnancy, they offer no protection against HIV or other sexually-transmitted infections.

MYTH: Condoms provide 100% protection against HIV.
FACT: Though condoms are 98 to 99% effective in helping to prevent the spread of HIV, they’re NOT foolproof. Sometimes they break, slip off or are not worn correctly.

MYTH: The only way you can contract HIV with drugs is by injecting them.
FACT: The biggest problem with drugs and alcohol is they change your behaviour and make you prone to take risks you won’t normally take such as having sex without a condom.

MYTH: You can get HIV from a mosquito bite.
FACT: Unlike malaria, HIV does not reproduce easily outside the human body and cannot survive in the saliva of insects. HIV can mutate and hide inside the body, which makes it an almost invincible target. But once outside the human body, the virus is weak and cannot be sustained.

Now, if you do not agree with what you read, either say it nicely in the comment box, or get a copy of CLEO from the nearest newsstand