Real Housewives Star Jen Shah Blasted for AIDS Kissing 'Warning'
In the series debut of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Jen Shah, the wife of University of Utah football assistant coach Sharieff Shah, made comments about contracting AIDS that are not only inaccurate, but spread dangerous misinformation about how the disease is spread.
In the episode, Shah is eating breakfast with her family when her older son, Sharieff, Jr., let slip that her younger son, Omar, has a girlfriend. Shah was shocked. What did you say? He has a girlfriend, she asked, before turning to Omar and asking if he had kissed his girlfriend.
When her son replied that he hadnt, she replied If you kiss a girl, you might be like, Oh shes cute, but guess what? You can contract herpes, probably AIDS.
Rumors like this have long hurt and stigmatized those with HIV and AIDS. When misinformation about AIDS is spread, it makes actual prevention harder, and makes the lives of those living with it much more difficult.
https://www.advocate.com/television/2020/11/12/real-housewives-star-jen-shah-blasted-aids-kissing-warning
Can you catch HIV from kissing?
No. Evidence shows that the HIV virus is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal fluids, but not saliva.
Although HIV can be detected in saliva, it can't be passed to other people through kissing because a combination of antibodies and enzymes found naturally in saliva prevent HIV infecting new cells.
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/sexual-health/can-you-catch-hiv-from-kissing/