Nikhil Dev

One of my friends scrapped me today about the sources of HIV and this message was put forth in a really simple way that even a school going kid can understand. I thought it would be really good to spread it across to a larger audiencs.

“HIV can *never survive in any other liquid* medium also other than
blood or semen (& please for God sake … never in Pani Puri wala pani)

* Even if one drinks an HIV infected blood (or semen) of someone
(ingest through Gastro Intestinal track), the virus can not survive in
the
acidic pH of stomach*.

* Exposure of less than 1 second in AIR KILLS the HIV virus*(hence
story of needle pricks in Cinema theatres is a crap). Even if blood
from
a wound (of infected person) dries up (*blood clot*), *the virus
dies*and can not infect anyone else

* HIV transmission is *ONLY* an *INFECTION* i.e.entrance of virus in
one’s body. It *DOES NOT MEAN AIDS*.

* An HIV-infected person (after entrance of virus) can progress to a
condition of AIDS only after *8 to 10 YEARS *(not in 15 days as in the
Pani Puri story)

* It is *not HIV (virus) that kills a human* …..the virus attacks
immune cells (cells that fight against foreign pathogens/antigens) and
hence a person’s ability to fight against infections & diseases slowly
diminishes and person ultimately dies of a disease which could be as
simple as TB

* Most importantly, HIV is no longer a dreadful disease … it is
“*CHRONIC MANAGEABLE DISEASE*” just like Diabetes or Hypertension.

* If there is anything you need to be careful from to prevent HIV is
Unsafe sex*, *Blood transfusion* (check before taking) /Blood donation
(use sterilized needles only) and any *blood contact during an accident
*or so where amount of bleeding is very high.

PLZ PLZ spread this message to avoid rumors and to educate people.”