Preventing HIV

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HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 17: HIV > Preventing HIV

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

You can prevent the spread of HIV in these ways:

• Have sex with only one person, who has sex only with you.
• Practice safer sex—sex that does not let semen, blood, and vaginal fluids get into anyone’s vagina, anus, or mouth. Use condoms correctly whenever you have sex.
• Get tested for HIV and start taking ART if you are HIV-positive. Get tested for STIs, and make sure your partners do too.
• If you do not have HIV but you are regularly at risk, you may be able to take HIV medicines for prevention (PrEP).
• Avoid piercing or cutting the skin with needles or other tools that have not been disinfected between uses.
• Male circumcision (removing the skin that covers the tip of the penis) can protect against spreading STIs during sex and makes the risk of getting HIV from an infected partner about half as likely.
• Avoid blood transfusions except in emergencies.
• Do not share razors.
• Do not touch someone else’s blood or wound without protection.

More Information

safer sex

Preventing HIV is not always easy

To prevent HIV do not sell or trade sex. But I cannot feed my children or send them to school unless I do.

To prevent HIV, use condoms every time you have sex. But I cannot get my husband to use a condom.

To prevent HIV, have sex only with one faithful partner. I have sex with only my husband, but I know he has other women.

See Hesperian’s Health Actions for Women.

This page was updated:13 Nov 2023