Medical advances may make it seem like HIV is no longer a threat, but the virus is still circulating. Currently, 200,000 people live with HIV in France, 25,000 of whom are unaware of it.
According to an Ifop study for AIDES (French association for the fight against HIV and viral hepatitis), the proportion of French people who think that the risk of contamination is low has almost tripled in 35 years, going from 14% in 1988 to 40% today. ‘today. This feeling is particularly widespread among young people aged 18 to 24, 51% of whom believe that these risks are low.
HIV: what is it?
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks the immune system. It then gradually weakens the body’s natural defenses. As a result, infected patients become more vulnerable to opportunistic infections.
HIV can be transmitted in several ways:
- Transmitted sexually : like the papillomavirus (HPV), it is a chronic infection which is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse.
- Transmitted by contaminated blood : by sharing needles or unsafe blood transfusion.
- Transmitted from mother to child : during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
In heterosexual relationships, women are generally more at risk of contracting HIV than men. This is explained by physiology: the virus is transmitted more easily vaginally than penilely. Additionally, homosexuals are also at high risk.
HIV positive: does this mean you have AIDS?
Being HIV positive simply means that a person carries the HIV virus, without necessarily being sick. The term “AIDS” is used only when the infection has reached an advanced stage, where the immune system is seriously weakened. This stage makes the person vulnerable to opportunistic infections such as toxoplasmosis or pneumocystosis.
However, the French’s ability to distinguish an HIV-positive person from an AIDS-positive person has diminished. In 1988, 61% knew this difference, but that figure has fallen to less than 50% today.
With antiretroviral treatment, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives, transforming HIV into a manageable chronic illness.
However, 24% of French people are unaware that a person undergoing treatment can have a life expectancy comparable to that of an HIV-negative person.
HIV positive: is sexual intercourse possible?
The answer is yes, only if you take precautions:
Use condoms (male or female): this is the most effective prevention method.
Antiretroviral treatment : an HIV-positive person under treatment, with an undetectable viral load, practically does not transmit the virus. In this case, HIV is so reduced in his body that it cannot be transmitted. This means that the risk of transmission is significantly reduced, even without a condom.
Thus, a majority of French people, i.e. 77%, still believe that it is possible to be contaminated by HIV during unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV-positive person under treatment.
Serophobia: what is it?
Serophobia is fear or discrimination against people living with HIV. This unjustified stigma can have serious consequences.
Indeed, this can dissuade HIV-positive people from getting tested or undergoing treatment, pushing them into isolation.
Serophobia is necessarily prohibited in the workplace and can result in sanctions. Indeed, any discrimination can lead to three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros. If a person experiences serophobic acts at work, they can, to report the facts:
- Contact occupational medicine
- Contact staff representatives or the social and economic committee (CSE)
She also has the possibility of filing a complaint, contacting the industrial tribunal or even contacting the Defender of Rights.
NAMELY
To remain vigilant against HIV and support HIV-positive people, it is essential to get tested regularly (free and anonymous test), to systematically use a condom and, above all, to be well informed about the virus.
