http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/health/11-things-every-canadian-should-know-about-hivaids
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11 things every Canadian should know about HIV/AIDS
1. Approximately one quarter of Canadians infected with HIV don’t know they have the disease.
2. Canadian children are in the dark about this disease. According to CanFAR, two thirds of grade seven students, half of grade nine, and one third of grade 11 students believe that there is a cure for AIDS.
3. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS nor is there a vaccine to prevent infection. The progression of the disease can be slowed down with antiretroviral drugs, but it cannot be stopped or reversed.
4. Infection rates among older Canadians are growing—people over age 50 accounted for more than 12 percent of reported AIDS cases in 2006.
5. Women account for half of the world’s HIV infections. In Canada, women’s incidents rates are on the rise—women made up more than 27 percent of Canada’s HIV-positive test results in 2006.
6. Anyone can be infected with HIV, not only homosexuals and drug users. According to the AIDS Committee of Toronto, the majority of Canadian women who test positive for HIV became infected through unprotected heterosexual intercourse.
7. The results of your HIV test must be kept confidential and cannot be shared with another individual unless you give written consent.
8. Anonymous HIV testing is available. Rather than giving your name to a tester, you’re assigned a number that allows healthcare providers to follow up with your results. No records are kept that will link you to the test results.
9. Rapid HIV tests are approved by Health Canada. For a rapid test, the clinic will analyze your blood sample while you wait and deliver your results to you immediately.
10. Aboriginal Canadians are almost three times more likely to be infected with HIV than other Canadians.
11. You can’t get HIV by kissing or sharing a drinking glass with an infected person. According to CanFAR, there is no evidence to suggest that HIV is transmitted through saliva.
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11 things every Canadian should know about HIV/AIDS
1. Approximately one quarter of Canadians infected with HIV don’t know they have the disease.
2. Canadian children are in the dark about this disease. According to CanFAR, two thirds of grade seven students, half of grade nine, and one third of grade 11 students believe that there is a cure for AIDS.
3. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS nor is there a vaccine to prevent infection. The progression of the disease can be slowed down with antiretroviral drugs, but it cannot be stopped or reversed.
4. Infection rates among older Canadians are growing—people over age 50 accounted for more than 12 percent of reported AIDS cases in 2006.
5. Women account for half of the world’s HIV infections. In Canada, women’s incidents rates are on the rise—women made up more than 27 percent of Canada’s HIV-positive test results in 2006.
6. Anyone can be infected with HIV, not only homosexuals and drug users. According to the AIDS Committee of Toronto, the majority of Canadian women who test positive for HIV became infected through unprotected heterosexual intercourse.
7. The results of your HIV test must be kept confidential and cannot be shared with another individual unless you give written consent.
8. Anonymous HIV testing is available. Rather than giving your name to a tester, you’re assigned a number that allows healthcare providers to follow up with your results. No records are kept that will link you to the test results.
9. Rapid HIV tests are approved by Health Canada. For a rapid test, the clinic will analyze your blood sample while you wait and deliver your results to you immediately.
10. Aboriginal Canadians are almost three times more likely to be infected with HIV than other Canadians.
11. You can’t get HIV by kissing or sharing a drinking glass with an infected person. According to CanFAR, there is no evidence to suggest that HIV is transmitted through saliva.
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