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Understanding HIV/AIDS: Information, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Prevention

How Can I Prevent HIV/AIDS?

The most common way people are infected with HIV is by having sex with an infected person. You can't tell by looking at a person whether they have HIV, so you have to protect yourself -- and your sex partner.

Safe Sex and HIV Prevention

• Don't have sex outside marriage or a committed relationship. If you or your partner has ever had unprotected sex -- or if either of you uses injection drugs -- the only way to be sure you don't have HIV is to get tested. Have 2 HIV tests 6 months apart, with no new sex partners or injection drug use between tests.
• You can't get HIV if your penis, mouth, vagina, or anus doesn't touch another person's penis, mouth, vagina, or anus. Kissing, erotic massage, and mutual masturbation are safe sex activities.
• You can greatly reduce your risk by using a latex or polyurethane condom during sex. Don't use natural-skin condoms -- they prevent pregnancy but don't prevent infections. Learn the right way to use a condom. Put the condom on as soon as a man has an erection, not just when he's ready to ejaculate. Use a lubricant -- but never use an oil-based lubricant with a latex condom. The female condom, also called a vaginal pouch, also protects against disease.
• Oral sex without a condom or latex dam is not safe, but it's far safer than unprotected intercourse.

Drug Use and HIV Prevention

Using drugs increases your HIV risk. Stop using drugs if you want to prevent HIV/AIDS. If you're not ready to stop taking drugs, you can still reduce your risk of getting HIV. Here's how:

• Don't have sex when you're high. It's easy to forget about safe sex when you're on drugs.
• If you must use drugs, don't inject them.
• If you must inject drugs, don't share the equipment. This includes every piece of it: needles, syringes, cookers, cotton, and rinse water. Some states have needle-exchange programs where you can trade in dirty equipment for new equipment.

Pregnancy and HIV Prevention

Mothers with HIV can give the virus to their infants during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. If you're pregnant, get an HIV test. Anti-HIV drugs taken during pregnancy and delivery can greatly reduce the risk of passing the virus to your baby. If you have HIV, feed your infant formula or breast milk from an uninfected woman.

Blood Contact and HIV Prevention

You can be infected by HIV from contact with the blood of an infected person. If you're helping a bleeding person, be careful to avoid getting his or her blood into any cuts or open sores on your own skin -- or in your eyes or mouth.

Call Your Doctor If:

If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, see your doctor immediately. Your doctor may recommend taking anti-HIV drugs to try to prevent the virus from infecting you. This is not like taking a "morning-after pill." Treatment involves several weeks of taking drugs with serious side effects -- but it can keep you from getting HIV infection.

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