Prevent HIV Infection

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. Though it is not as deadly as it once was, it is still very important to protect yourself (especially now that there are drug-resistant strains). Get started with Step 1 below to learn how you can prevent the spread of HIV infections.

Steps

Protecting Yourself

  1. Understand how HIV spreads. There's a lot of misinformation about how the disease is spread, so educate yourself in order to protect yourself. HIV is transmitted when infected blood, breast milk, semen, or vaginal secretions come in contact with broken skin or mucous membranes (i.e., mouth, nose, vagina, rectum, penis opening). HIV can be transmitted through unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse, as well by blood-blood contact and contact with bodily fluids.
    • This means that you can usually kiss safely (as long as there are not existing cuts or sores and you don't give each other any), as well as safely touch and have normal daily interactions with someone with HIV.
    • Do not assume that someone who is asymptomatic does not have HIV. People can have HIV for many years before developing AIDS, and any infected person can transmit the virus.
  2. Avoid substance abuse. The first thing you should do is stop abusing alcohol and drugs. These substances, while fun, impair your judgement and make you more likely to make bad decisions or put you in a situation where the decision is not yours. Certain drugs, like intravenous drugs, can also make you more likely to contract HIV by exposing you at a much higher rate.
  3. Treat any other STDs or STIs you may get. Already having STDs and STIs puts you at a higher risk for getting HIV. The infections weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to contracting HIV when you are exposed. This is why you should treat these problems, as well as normal health problems like yeast infections, immediately if you suspect you may have them. You can also get vaccinated against certain STD/Is like Hep A and B, if you are at high risk.
  4. Never share needles or syringes. Needles and syringes can easily carry HIV from one person to another. Never use recreational drugs which use needles and never use any needles not given to you by your doctor. If you have problems with addiction to these drugs, get help for addiction and find out if your area has a needle exchange program to help keep you and others safe.
  5. Be circumcised. If you're male and having sex with women, circumcision can greatly lower your risk of contracting HIV[1]. Having sex with a circumcised male does not protect you if you are a woman, however, and circumcision seems to offer no significant benefit in male-male sex. If you are not already circumcised, you can get circumcised as an adult if you choose to.
  6. React quickly if you believe you've become exposed. If you do expose yourself to HIV, seek medical attention immediately. If treated within 72 hours (and the sooner the better), you may be able to prevent the HIV infection from permanently settling down in your body through Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (or PEP) treatment [2]. PEP is not a 100% guarantee, with studies showing the highest risk of failure with those treated 55 hours or more after exposure and males who received penetrative anal sex.[3]
  7. Avoid contact with other people's blood and certain other bodily fluids. You never know who has HIV, since there is no stereotype, and someone may not even know if he or she is infected, so the best policy is to always be careful. Avoid touching other people's blood if at all possible and also avoid contact with the other bodily fluids that can spread HIV. These fluids include [4]:
    • Semen (cum) and pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum)
    • Vaginal fluids
    • Rectal (anal) mucous
    • Breast milk
    • Amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and synovial fluid (usually only exposed if you work in a medical field)
  8. Get medical treatment if you become pregnant. If you become pregnant and you're worried that you may have HIV, get tested and seek medical help immediately. It is possible to prevent the spread of the infection to your child, but you'll need a doctor's help to do it.
    • For example, a C section will be crucial in protecting your child.[5]
  9. Talk to your doctor. As always, if you have a medical problem or questions, you should ask a doctor! If you don't have a doctor or medical insurance, most areas have free or low-cost clinic and many government programs exist to help you find help. Research what's available in your area.

Working with Your Partner

  1. Get tested often and together. Frequent testing can help both you and your sexual partner stay safe. Protecting each other if you're at risk or in a new relationship is something that good sexual partners do! Since some partners may lie about getting tested or what the results were, the safest bet is to get tested together.
  2. Always, always, always use protection. Only engage in unprotected sex if you are in a mutually monogamous relationship in which both you and your partner are uninfected by HIV or any other STD. This is the most important part of preventing HIV. Protected sex will go the furthest to protect you and your partner if one of you is at risk or has contracted an HIV infection. Of course, it's easy to say "just this one time" to skipping protection but all it takes is one time: be on the safe side and insist on protection! Your options include:
    • Male condoms
    • Female condoms
    • Dental dams (can be used for female-female, male-female, and male-male sex!)
  3. Use lube. Lube may not seem like it can prevent HIV but it can actually help a lot! When you're using condoms, you put yourself at serious risk if the condom breaks. The best way to prevent condom breakage is by reducing the stress on the condom...with lube! Always use water based lube, as other lubes can degrade the latex of the condom and put you at risk.
    • Lube is especially important with anal sex, since it not only protects your body from tears but also protects the condom, as anal sex is more stressful on condoms that vaginal sex.
  4. Use the condom correctly. Condoms may seem tricky, but correct usage is easy to learn. With the right attitude, you can even make condom use really sexy! Correct condom use is crucial to preventing HIV infections, since a broken or incorrectly used condom is about as good as using no condom at all.
    • Store your condoms correctly: out of direct sunlight, in a cool, dry place.
    • You'll also want to look out for an expiration date (don't worry if you see MFG after a date, since this means it's the manufacture date).
    • Open the package carefully with your hands and not your teeth.
    • Put it on the right way the first time. Place the condom with the bubble at the center pointing up, or so that the roll is on top. If you touch the condom to your penis in the other direction first, throw it away and get a new one, as it could be contaminated and spread the disease.
    • Pinch and roll to put it on. Gently pinch the bubble with your non-dominant hand and then roll the condom down the shaft of the penis with your dominant hand. This pinch is important, as it makes room for the ejaculate in the condom.
    • Be careful after sex too. Hold the base of the condom in place when you pull out. Immediately take it off (carefully!) and throw it away. Clean up to prevent your fluids from spreading.
  5. Stay in monogamous relationships. The best prevention is abstinence, of course, but abstaining tends to not be very realistic in the long run. The only form of sexual intercourse that does not carry a risk of HIV infection is in a mutually monogamous partnership in which both members are uninfected and do not expose themselves outside of sex. Stay with one person and get tested for HIV together every few years if you want to be sure you're safe!
    • Even if you are completely monogamous, you or your partner may accidentally be exposed, possibly without even knowing it. This is why it's a good idea to get tested together, even after you've been together for a while.
  6. Protect any toys you use as well. If you have sex toys that both you and your partner use, it's a good idea to practice safe sex with those as well. Keep them clean, use condoms on them, and clean them between anal and vaginal use, as well as between use by different people.
  7. Communicate! Talk with your partner about your sexual and drug abuse history. Let them understand that this is important to you and that you won't pass judgement. Create a relationship of open communication, so that you never feel like you have to hide information from each other that might put you at risk (like cheating or use of prostitutes). Talking with each other and being honest are great ways to protect each other.

Tips

  • If you may be at risk of HIV, it is essential that you get tested. There are numerous places you can go to be tested for HIV. These include your local health department, doctor's office, hospital, special testing centers, community clinics, or even in your home via a personal test kit.

Warnings

  • Never make an exception to safety precautions in HIV prevention. A single incident of unprotected sex or intravenous drug use can transmit the virus, which can develop into AIDS.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/ToolsTemplates/EntertainmentEd/Tips/HivCircumcision.html
  2. ↑ http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/post-exposure-prophylaxis/
  3. ↑ http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/521475
  4. ↑ http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/how-you-get-hiv-aids/
  5. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11131694

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Prevent_HIV_Infection&oldid=289556"