Understanding HIV: Learn the Facts, Fight the Stigma, Stay Safe

Come in closer. today, we're going to talk about, oh wait, why am I whispering? Today, we're going to talk about HIV and aids. Maybe you already know all about it. But when I first heard about it, I was like, huh? I felt a little confused. Kind uncomfortable, and well, curious. Anyway, it's not something we have to be quiet or secretive about. HIV and AIDS should be something we can totally talk about so we can understand it better and so we can stay healthy. When I first learned about HIV, I was like, what's the deal? And are we going to talk about sex? And what's up with the two names? But one thing was pretty clear. It can make you sick. Really sick. It sounded like one of the worst illnesses a person could contract. It sounded serious. And even a bit scary. And the truth is, HIV is serious. If left untreated, people can die from it. The good news, though, is that people with HIV can get medicine that will help them live long, normal lives. And it's actually pretty easy to avoid getting. It sounds cheesy, but knowledge really is power. The more we know and understand, the better we can deal with something as serious as HIV. So what is it? We pretty much discovered that it can make you really sick and possibly die. What is this? Part of the zombie apocalypse? Thankfully, no. HIV is actually a virus. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. Besides being one really long and hard to spell word, immunodeficiency basically means that the virus infects the immune system and makes it weak. With a weakened immune system, other diseases and viruses are much easier to get. If left untreated, HIV can weaken the immune system so much that doctors would say that the HIV has now become aids. Aids stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. This is an illness that has been misunderstood for a long time. And we all know how rumors can spread like wildfire. Did you hear what Bobby did? There are some rumors about HIV out there that are pretty crazy, like HIV is a mask conspiracy, created in government labs to control the population. And like most rumors, a lot of what you hear is just plain wrong. Like when I was younger, many people thought you could catch HIV from holding hands, or using the same toilet seat. Um, no. We can't trust everything that we read on the Internet or here in the locker room. So we have to try our best to learn and spread the right information. If you know the facts, you can protect yourself from contracting or spreading it. So what is true about HIV? Well, let's set the record straight and take a look at how this all started in the first place. The year was 1981. Ronald Reagan was president, the first space shuttle ever was launched. Atari introduced the nation to home video games, personal computers were brand new and really big and clunky. And while Indiana Jones was busy rating the art, music was getting a little weird. And with all this stuff going on, America had a reason to celebrate. Come on. Nobody knew that a strange and deadly disease had been silently spreading. Then on June 5th, it was reported that 5 people had recently shown up to a Los Angeles hospital with some really strange and rare infections. Which told doctors their immune systems were not working right. The doctors had never seen anything like this. Was this a new disease? Then, doctors started calling in from other hospitals in California and New York with similar cases. By the end of the year, 270 people were reported to have this sickness and nearly half of them had died. Because they were all homosexual men, it was believed that only homosexual men could get the disease. But soon, doctors discovered that anyone could get it, no matter your race, sexual orientation, age, gender, or where you lived. This is why they decided to call it human immunodeficiency virus. Any human could catch this disease. Since very little was known about it or how it spread, public anxiety grew, and people started to get scared. We're all gonna die. It's the end of the world. Okay, people weren't that scared, but people were very worried. What if my neighbor has it? Oh, what if the person I'm dating has it? What if I have it and don't even know? Sometimes when people found out that someone had HIV, they avoided them. Some people with HIV or aids even lost their jobs. Some were evicted from their homes. Others weren't allowed to come to school and some even weren't allowed to play on sports teams. Can you imagine everyone treating you differently? Well, just because you got sick? But the truth was, many people didn't really understand how HIV worked. Or how it was passed from person to person. In order to stop HIV and the growing fears surrounding it, it was time people learned the truth. Today, over 40 million people have HIV or aids throughout the world. In America, 50,000 people contracted every year and over 1.2 million people are living with HIV. You can't blame anyone for being a little scared or worried about HIV. I know I was. But with knowledge comes the power to protect ourselves and prevent HIV from spreading. And that all starts by listening to what doctors and scientists tell us about exactly how HIV works. As you probably know, every one of us has an immune system. It's like our own personal army, or built in defense system that protects our body from getting sick. Key part of that system is special cells in the blood called T cells, which are constantly on the lookout for germs and infections that try to invade our body. When they detect one of these intruders, they target and destroy. Every once in a while, a stealthy sickness manages to sneak by our immune system. But most of the time, our immune system wins. There are a whole lot of illnesses we don't get because of our immune systems. Thank you immune systems. HIV, over time, damages a person's immune system. It does this by directly attacking those mighty T cells. First, it enters a single T cell and takes it over. The HIV virus then turns that T cell into a sort of copy machine, with one purpose. To make copies of itself. After more of the HIV virus is created, it destroys the T cell. You can see where this is going, and it's not good. This process happens over and over again, spreading HIV through a person's body, making more copies and killing off more T cells until eventually, the immune system has hardly any T cells left. We call this advanced stage of the HIV infection, aids, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Talk about a hostile takeover when there becomes so few T cells in the bloodstream, the body can no longer defend against infection and disease. At this point, it becomes much easier to get very sick. These secondary diseases can even lead to death. So it's not the HIV or aids that can actually kill people. It's the other diseases a person can get because of their now we can immune system that can actually kill them. It usually takes a long time for a person with HIV to develop aids, often enter more years if they don't take HIV medicine. A person with HIV can look and feel healthy. You can't tell that they have it by looking or talking to them. The only way to truly know if a person has HIV is to have a doctor run a blood test. Blood tests are so important, and they only heard a tiny bit. When HIV and aids were first discovered, there was no way to treat it. But today, we have medicine that an HIV positive person can take to keep it from spreading throughout their body. It's important that they take this medicine right away, so that their immune system can stay healthy. This same medicine also helps prevent the spread of HIV to other people. And now there's even medicine that a person without HIV can take to keep them from getting it. There is still no cure for HIV or aids, but with medication, an HIV positive person can live along normal and healthy life without fear of their HIV developing into aids. So, let's talk about how you can and can't get HIV. HIV likes to live in a few specific places in our bodies. But before we get to that, let's get real. Body fluids can gross me out just as much as the next person. But we all have them. And they're just a normal part of how our bodies work. So yep. HIV hangs out in our body fluids. But which ones? Blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. You can only get HIV if these types of fluids transfer from someone who has HIV into your body through activities such as sex or sharing needles. The easiest way to avoid this is by not sharing needles, with anyone, ever, for any reason. And by making good decisions when it comes to sex. Basically, there are two ways to make sure that you don't get HIV through having sex. The first is by simply not having sex at all. This is called abstinence. Abstinence is a great choice for pre teens and teenagers. Until they are ready to have sex. When you are ready, the best way to protect yourself is by using a condom. A condom keeps any sexual fluids containing HIV from transferring between bodies and passing infections. Because HIV only lives in certain fluids, there are a whole lot of places HIV does not live. HIV does not live in saliva, sweat. Urine, poop, vomit, on a toilet seat. Or on a door handle. Which means you can not get HIV by kissing someone who has HIV or hugging someone who has HIV or sharing food or drink with someone who has HIV or getting bitten by a mosquito who has bitten someone who has HIV. Or sitting on a toilet seat used by someone with HIV. That's a whole lot of stuff we can do without worrying we're gonna get HIV. It should be pretty clear to us now that someone with HIV is not a threat or a danger to our health, and that they can be treated just like anyone else. But not everyone knows the facts. And there's still a lot of misunderstanding and even discrimination against people with HIV. Now that you've learned the facts about HIV and aids, let's take a quick break. So you and your teacher can review this information together. Feel free to ask questions. My Friends, Nicole and Paris, are going to share some of their experiences living with HIV. Hi Nicole, why don't you start by telling us how long you've been living with HIV. My name is Nicole, and I have been living with HIV for 15 years. When I first learned that I was HIV positive, I was only 24. I was very scared. I didn't know if I was ever going to be able to have children or be married. I was really worried about what my parents were going to think and my Friends, I was in shock for about a week where I just slept a lot, didn't really want to think about it. I didn't know that much about HIV, so I was very scared about how my health was going to be if I was going to die. If people would still want to spend time with me and care for me, it was a very scary time. Since I learned more about HIV over the last 15 years, I'm not as afraid. I know that as long as I take my medication and I take care of myself that I can live a long and healthy life too. The first boyfriend I ever had after I was diagnosed, I was really afraid to tell him about my status. But when I did, he already knew me for Nicole, not having an HIV. And he felt really sorry that I had been infected with HIV. So he went to his doctor and he got tested for HIV and other STDs. And was educated by his doctor, how we could still be in a relationship and intimate with each other and stay safe. So I think a lot of times people are afraid of HIV because they just don't know very much about it. They don't have education. For me, I thought all I had to worry about was getting pregnant. So I use birth control pills, but I didn't use condoms. And so I'm sitting here in front of you today, HIV positive because I did not protect myself. I'm a person dislike anyone else. I just happen to have a virus that attacks my immune system. So if you meet someone else with HIV, there's nothing to be afraid of. They're just people like you and I. Hi, Paris. Let's start the same way. Why don't you tell us how long you've been living with HIV? My name is Paris, and I've been living with HIV for 5 years. When I first learned that I had contracted HIV, my body went numb. It's like I couldn't feel myself. Like this really wasn't happening to me. It really wasn't real. I wasn't afraid that I was going to die, but I wasn't quite sure how I was going to live. There is stigma that surrounds HIV. I like to use the word stains, something dirty, something not good, that people often associate the virus HIV with. That was something that I was afraid of. Would I be seen as dirty? Would people want to be a part of my life? What people want to be my friend if they knew I had HIV. How would I tell my mom and dad? Would they be really disappointed in me? I was really scared. Basically, who would want me now? That was my internal thoughts that I had to work through. And to get to the place to know that I am valuable, I am loved. I am not different because I have the virus. What I tell people when they ask, well, how should I treat someone that's living with HIV? Help others feel wanted. At your school, at home, in your neighborhood, wanted like they belong there. Regardless of a health condition, or any other matter that you think makes them different from you. So when it comes to prevention, there are few things that I found to be really helpful with regard to stopping the spread of HIV. And one is friendships. When you feel better about yourself, feel loved, cared for or wanted, we make better decisions or at least I make better decisions. When I know that I have friends that care about me, I would say talking about HIV. Talking about sex, it's kind of hard and it's embarrassing to talk about these things, but find out, get accurate information, ask a teacher, ask a doctor. We're not going to be afraid anymore. We're not going to be afraid to ask questions about HIV. We're not going to be afraid of HIV itself. No, if we don't want HIV, we don't have to get it. What are some of the things that I do to stay healthy? One is, I take my medication as prescribed by my doctor. Every day. Also, I see my doctor when I'm supposed to as well, to get my checkups. Even though I don't really like needles, gotta go in, and it really doesn't hurt either. I also talk about and let people know that I have HIV. Sometimes I think when we talk about something more, it becomes less scary or more normal. And so I'll tell friends I have friends, my friends know that I'm living with HIV. Now you know, I'm living with HIV. And the more I talk about it, the more okay, it is for me. And okay for other people. Because hey, we can prevent HIV. And if you happen to contract HIV, we know that it's 100% treatable. And I'm going to have a long life. So while we know that HIV is preventable and treatable, we still don't have a cure for HIV. I believe we will. But that's going to take doctors and researchers, some of you might be the ones who discover the cure for HIV. Nicole and Paris were very brave to share their stories. We're going to pause here for a few minutes. Sierra class can talk about what they had to say. Okay, so like I said, one of the best ways to protect yourself from HIV is abstinence. Abstinence from sharing needles, abstinence from sexual intercourse, abstinence from drinking untested breast milk. Okay, so most of you won't be in that situation. It's one thing to just avoid circumstances where you might do these things. But let's be honest, situations can come up, and it's important to think about how you want to respond beforehand. I know there have been a few times that I felt pressure from friends to do things that I wasn't ready for, and it was not fun. Say no is easy to talk about, but sometimes hard to do. Especially if you're feeling pressured or intimidated, or even just wanting to fit in. For example, when I was in 7th grade, I spent the night at a friend's house. We watched a movie a way too many Cheetos and stayed up super late. At about two in the morning, my friend said, hey, let's sneak out and go over to mark's house. Mark was this boy that she liked at the time, and he was having a party. I felt really uncomfortable sneaking out. Well, Mark had been hanging out with some older kids and, well, let's just say they weren't very nice. Plus, I was having a really good time where we were. And I didn't want to get into trouble. Anyway, it was super awkward. I know I said I didn't really want to. She really did and would not stop pressuring me. I even told her again. I don't want to go. But I also didn't want her going alone, so eventually I was like, maybe? And then I caved. Luckily, it turned out after about 15 minutes of being there, she felt super uncomfortable too. It wasn't a great scene. So we avoided trouble by saying a quick hello to mark and then disappeared from the party. But what if she'd been into it? Or what if we'd felt stuck there? Even though I said no at first, I definitely could have done it better. I think there are some aspects to saying no that would have been really helpful in that situation. For starters, I was a bit shy when I first said no. Of course, yelling and screaming at her would not have gone over well. But if you are clear and confident, most likely, your friend will respect that. Like, no. I really don't want to. Also, body language can help a lot. Look them directly in the eye, stand up straight and tell them no. You don't want to. If I had done that, I think my friend would have taken me more seriously. Instead of just saying no, well, try suggesting something else you may want to do. I could have suggested we watch another movie. Or said I was tired and needed to sleep. You know, we have options, people, better yet. I could have actually told her why I didn't want to go. I never told her how I felt. Which could have changed her mind, or at least we could have talked about it. Also, just be persistent. Keep saying no if they continue asking you. At some point in time, they should get the picture. If after all that, for some reason, they're still pressuring you or the situation feels out of control. Well, remember, you're not alone, and you can ask for help. At the sleepover, I could have woken up her parents and told them what was going on, or I could have called my parents and had them come get me. Though that may be awkward at first. Parents will completely understand. And even be grateful you told them. When it comes to HIV and aids, you never want to risk infection just because you were afraid to say no. You always, no matter what. Have the right to say no when it comes to having sex and sharing needles. And if you've ever been forced to have sex with someone, know that it is not your fault. Tell an adult and talk to your doctor. In case you were exposed to HIV, they can give you medicine that will keep you from getting it. With over 1.2 million people living with HIV or aids in America today, there's a pretty good chance you know someone who has it. And now that you know how HIV works and how you can and can't get it, you don't need to be afraid of anyone who's HIV positive. We've learned a lot about HIV today, and now you know how to protect yourself from getting infected. These are my Friends. You can't tell by talking to them or looking at them, but their HIV positive. They live a normal life, and are safe to be around. If you know someone who's HIV positive, remember that they're people, just like you. They deserve respect and kindness. Just like everyone else. Just like we wouldn't judge someone with the flu. We shouldn't judge someone with HIV. It's irresponsibility to make good choices, and keep yourself from risking infection. Talk to your teacher, parent, guardian, or doctor if you have any questions.