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7.How can it be prevented?
HIV can be transmitted only
- through unprotected vaginal, oral, and anal sexual contact with an infected person,
- through the sharing of injection needles during intravenous drug use if one of the users is infected,
- by an infected woman to her fetus during pregnancy and, after birth, to her baby through breastfeeding,
- through a transfusion with infected blood or an infected organ transplant.
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Discussing these points in reverse order:
- Blood transfusions and organ transplants can be made safe by screening all blood and organ donations for HIV. This is now being done in most countries. People who are planning elective surgery may consider banking their own blood in advance.
- Pregnancies can be made safe by testing all women for HIV once they plan to become pregnant. This is also being done in many countries. A pregnant woman who is infected may be helped by certain medications that can reduce the chance of her fetus becoming infected, too. Infected mothers should not breastfeed their babies.
- Needle sharing is never safe. Intravenous drug users can protect themselves by using only their own needles. Some countries and cities now provide drug users with free, clean needles and/or teach them to clean their needles with bleach.
- Sexual contact is safe with an uninfected person. However, since many people do not have any symptoms and do not know that they are infected, no one should ever have casual sexual contacts without following the “safer sex guidelines” (see “Safer Sex”). They can be summarized in this simple, but urgent advice:
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During sexual contact,
avoid the exchange of body fluids!
This means above all:
Always use a latex condom
when having vaginal or anal intercourse!
Spermicidal jellies or foams can add to the protection.
It also means:
Avoid getting semen in your mouth!
Avoid getting vaginal secretions or menstrual blood in your mouth!
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