|
Prevention
HIV infection can be passed from person to person
in any of the following ways: unprotected sexual
intercourse (heterosexual or homosexual), oral
sex with an infected person, a contaminated blood
transfusion, a needle stick with contaminated
injection equipment, artificial insemination with
infected semen or an organ transplant taken from
an HIV-infected donor. Newborns can also catch
HIV infection from their mothers before birth
or through breast-feeding.
Although several HIV vaccines are being tested,
none has been approved. You can decrease your
chances of acquiring HIV infection by avoiding
high-risk behaviors. To decrease the risk of HIV
infection, you can:
> Practice abstinence,
have a monogamous (one partner only) sexual relationship
or use barrier methods of contraception such as
condoms.
>
Predonate your own blood before anticipated surgery
(this is an autologous blood transfusion).
>
Avoid sharing injection equipment.
>
If you are a health care worker who cares for
HIV patients, strictly follow established infection-control
procedures for exposure to body fluids.
>
If you are a woman who is thinking about becoming
pregnant, have a test for HIV beforehand, especially
if you have a history of behaviors that put you
at risk of HIV infection.
>
Pregnant women who are HIV positive need special
prenatal care and medications to decrease the
risk that HIV will pass to their newborn babies.
|
