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National | Health

Education key to changing HIV perception

It's World AIDS Day this Saturday and a new national survey shows that there are still misconceptions around HIV that are contributing to harmful stigma for people living with HIV.

The findings by New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) and Positive Women showed:

  • 88% of Kiwis would be uncomfortable having a sexual relationship with someone living with HIV.
  • 46% were uncomfortable letting a child play with another child living with HIV.
  • 38% would be uncomfortable having a flatmate living with HIV.

NZAF CE Jason Myers says people liviing with HIV (PLHIV) are often already internalising a lot of stigma around sex and relationships which can result in feeling isolated and like they aren't able to love.

"These can be changed with a bit of education," he says.

Myers says HIV can only be transmitted via unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing needles, breastfeeding or direct blood to blood contact

"This demolishes arguments against letting children play as they should be free to at the local playground."

"Transmissions between wounds are extremely rare and both parties would need to be bleeding profusely for transmission to occur- a very unlikely playtime occurrence."
 
Myers also says there is no risk in sharing a living space with a person living with HIV.

"Like anyone living with a condition that requires daily medication - advances in science mean PLHIV are empowered to live fulfilling and social lives."

NZAF say stigma is a major barrier to seeking treatment, testing and support services that can have negative health outcomes for PLHIV and can contribute to transmission rates.

However with the help of the public, HIV transmission in New Zealand could end by 2025.

Other information from NZAF:

  • If a person is being treated with anti-retroviral medications and achieves an undetectable viral load (very low viral count in their blood - below the threshold of detection for standard HIV tests) for more than six months, there is effectively no risk of HIV transmission in condomless sex.
  • As an HIV negative person, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication has been proven to stop HIV transmission during condomless sex.
  • Condoms prevent the transmission of HIV and STIs.
  • HIV cannot be transmitted by sharing a drinking glass.
  • HIV cannot be transmitted by any skin contact - hugging is never going to be a risk.
  • HIV cannot be transmitted by kissing.
  • Sharing a meal prepared by someone living with HIV poses no risk- the virus is not transmitted via saliva and any trace amounts of infected blood or semen would be destroyed by exposure to air, cooking processes and stomach acid.