Source: 10 Myths about AIDSHIV by Dale Hanson Bourke

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10 Myths about AIDS/HIV

• By Dale Hanson Bourke

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• HIV/AIDS is mostly a disease of homosexual men.
• Primarily spread by heterosexual sex, HIV/AIDS
  now infects as many women as men worldwide.

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• HIV/AIDS is mostly an African problem.
• Found in every country in the world, HIV
  infections are growing most rapidly in countries
  outside of Africa, including India and Russia.

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• HIV/AIDS spreads mostly because of poor moral
  choices.
• Women are often infected by their husbands.
  Children most often contract HIV by being born to
  HIV mothers.

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• Plenty of money is being spent on fighting
  HIV/AIDS.
• While a great deal of money is being spent by
  governments, private organizations, and
  individuals to fight HIV/AIDS, much more is
  needed.

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• HIV/AIDS is no longer a problem in the United
  States.
• Because medications (Antiretrovirals or ARVs) are
  widely available in the United States, the death
  rate has decreased. But the number of people
  living with HIV/AIDS in the United States has not
  decreased and the rate of new infections is not
  declining.

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• ARVs are widely available.
• While antiretrovirals are becoming more
  available, they are still difficult to find in
  many rural areas and in some countries.

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• A cure exists for HIV/AIDS.
• While there are treatments to prolong life, there
  is no cure.

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• There is no hope for those with HIV/AIDS.
• Great progress is being made in treatments and
  the rate of infant infection in some countries is
  dropping rapidly.

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• If Im not HIV, the disease doesnt affect me.
• The high rate of HIV/AIDS infections is causing
  instability in many countries and reversing the
  progress made in development.

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• Theres nothing I can do.
• Everyone can do something.
• First, become educated.
• Then help teach others in your church, school,
  and community.
• Begin to care and pray about how you and your
  church can become involved. Begin to give
  yourself and your resources to stopping the
  spread of AIDS by caring for orphans and those
  infected and affected by this terrible pandemic.

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• Dale Hanson Bourke is president of PDI, a
  marketing and strategy consulting firm
  specializing in work with non-profit
  organizations.
• She is also founder of The AIDS Orphan Bracelet
  Project and author of The Skeptics Guide to the
  Global AIDS Crisis (Authentic, 2004).