LET’S TALK about 

Separating 

facts from fiction

PROTECT YOURSELF. PROTECT OTHERS.
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Many people have questions about HIV/AIDS. This handout was 

created to help answer those questions and provide the facts. 

Additional information on HIV can be found at: 

cdc.gov/hivtreatmentworks

General myths about HIV.

Myth: If I had HIV, I’d feel sick.

Fact: Not necessarily. People can have HIV without symptoms 

for years. Even if a person with HIV feels good, the virus is still reproducing 

in the body. You may be surprised to learn that an estimated 1.2 million people 

are living with HIV in the United States. Of those individuals, approximately 

1 in 8 do not know they are infected.

Myth: HIV only affects certain groups 

of people.

Fact: Anyone can get HIV—and you can become infected the 

first time you are exposed to the virus. HIV is spread through body fluids such 

as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. HIV is most commonly 

passed from one person to another through anal or vaginal sex, and by sharing 

needles or drug works. In addition, a mother can pass HIV to her baby during 

pregnancy, during labor, or through breastfeeding.
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Myths about 

transmission of HIV.

Myth: A diagnosis of HIV is a death 

sentence. 

Fact: Although HIV is serious and there is no cure, people with HIV 

can now live longer, healthier lives thanks to early detection, and new and more 

effective treatments. 

Myth: My viral load is undetectable, 

so I can’t spread HIV.

Fact: Yes, it is possible that you could still transmit HIV. However, 

having an undetectable viral load greatly lowers the chance of transmitting the 

virus to your sexual partners who are HIV-negative. An HIV-positive person can 

still potentially infect a partner even if they have an undetectable viral load, 

because of the reasons listed below.

• HIV may still be found in genital fluids (e.g., semen, vaginal fluids). 

The viral load test only measures virus in blood. Although antiretroviral therapy 

(ART) also lowers viral load in genital fluids, HIV can sometimes be present in 

genital fluids even when it is undetectable in the blood.

• Your viral load may go up between tests. When this happens, you may be more 

likely to transmit HIV to sexual partners. Your viral load may go up without you 

knowing it because you may not feel any different.

• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) increase viral load in genital fluids. 

This means that an HIV-positive person with an STD may be able to transmit 

HIV to sexual partners even if the blood viral load is undetectable.
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Myth: If I already have HIV and my partner 

does too, we can have unprotected sex.

Fact: You could catch another STD, such as gonorrhea, or syphilis, 

or another viral infection such as hepatitis C (a serious liver infection), 

if you don’t use a condom. What you may not know is that getting another 

STD can increase your HIV viral load, which may speed the progression of 

your HIV infection. Your viral load can rise even if you’re on medication for HIV 

(antiretroviral drugs). 

Myth: My viral load is low, so I can stop 

taking my HIV medicines.

Fact: It is very important for you to take your HIV medicines exactly 

as directed. If you don’t, your CD4 count may go down and your viral load 

many go up. When the viral load is high, risk for HIV transmission is the 

greatest. Even when the serum viral load is undetectable, HIV can still exist in 

semen, vaginal and rectal fluids, and breast milk. Taking your HIV medicine is 

important to help you live a longer and healthier life. Not taking your medicines 

as directed can also make the HIV virus resistant, which means the medicines 

won’t help you anymore. 

Myth: Because I have HIV, I should be 

careful about everyday activities 

such as sharing the telephone and 

shaking people’s hands.

Fact: HIV cannot be caught from everyday activities, casual contact 

such as shaking hands, or from ordinary objects such as a doorknob, telephone, 

or toilet seat. The virus does not live long outside the body.
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Myths about HIV therapy.

Myth: Antiretroviral drugs will cure 

my HIV.

Fact: Antiretroviral drugs help control reproduction of the 

virus and slow the progression of the disease. But they are not a cure 

for HIV.

Remember: It’s important to take your HIV medicines exactly as your 

doctor tells you. If you don’t, your viral load may go up. In addition, 

the virus may become resistant, and your medicines could stop working.

Myth: HIV treatment is too expensive.

Fact: Treatment programs and support services are available 

even for those who have no insurance. Medicaid is the nation’s largest 

source of public funding for AIDS care, and the Ryan White Program 

provides care and support for those with limited or no health insurance. 

For more information, call your local health department, or call 

CDC-INFO at 800-232-4636.
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Myth: There is a cure for HIV.

Fact: Rich or poor, there is no cure for HIV. There are ways to 

prolong a person’s life, but once you get HIV, you will have it for the rest of 

your life.

Myths about recreational 

drug use and HIV.

Myth: If I already have HIV, I can share 

needles with other people who have HIV. 

Fact: You shouldn’t share needles, works, cottons, or water because 

you could get hepatitis C, a serious liver infection. Hepatitis C is one of the leading 

causes of chronic liver disease in the United States and hepatitis C infection 

progresses more rapidly to liver damage in HIV-infected persons. Outbreaks of 

hepatitis C have occurred among HIV-positive gay men.

Hepatitis C can result in other health problems, such as liver cancer or liver 

disease, which has become a major cause of hospital admissions, liver 

transplants, and deaths among people living with HIV. Hepatitis C infection 

may also impact the course and management of HIV infection. So don’t share 

your needles, works, cottons, or water. 
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Myth: I only snort drugs (not shoot up), 

so I can share equipment without 

worrying about HIV.

Fact: Infected blood from inside one person’s nose can be passed 

to another person through shared straws or other drug-snorting equipment. 

So don’t do it. 

Myths about HIV and 

other STDs.

Myth: All STDs have symptoms. 

Fact: Not true. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes are some of the STDs 

that you or your partner may have without knowing it. That’s why it’s so important to 

always use a condom during sexual activity of any kind.

Myth: Getting another STD when I have 

HIV is no big deal.

Fact: Actually, it can be a big deal. If you have HIV, getting another 

infection, such as syphilis or hepatitis C, can increase your HIV viral load, 

which may speed the progression of your HIV infection. Your viral load can go 

up even if you’re taking medicines for your HIV (antiretroviral drugs).
HIV TREATMENT WORKS

Resources

cdc.gov/hivtreatmentworks

a website designed for persons living with HIV that includes information about 

HIV and features real people from across the United States talking about how 

sticking with care and treatment helps them stay healthy, live a longer, healthier 

life and prevent transmission.

cdc.gov/Features/LetsStopHIV

designed for anyone who is HIV-positive along with their friends and family, 

featuring celebrities and others living with HIV.

cdc.gov/actagainstaids/campaigns/ 

starttalking

has information geared toward gay men about how to talk to your partner(s) 

about sex.

aidsinfo.nih.gov

has up-to-date treatment information for HIV/AIDS (or call 1-800-448-0440).

findhivcare.hrsa.gov/search_HAB.aspx

helps you find a nearby Ryan White Program (or call 877-646-4772).

1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

provides general information about HIV and its treatment.

Printed in the USA, 2015