Stopping the spread of HIV

	Question: How long have you been taking HIV medicines?   <1 year 1 - 3 years 3 - 5 years 6 - 10 years >10 years I am not taking HIV medicines I do not have HIV

 

It is important to know how HIV spreads and what you can do to stop it from spreading.

Stop the spread of HIV when you have sex

If you do not have oral, vaginal, or anal sex, you cannot pass on the virus through sexual contact. Remember:

• If you do have sex but do not have HIV, the more people you have sex with, the greater your chance of getting HIV
• If you do have sex and already have HIV, you can give HIV to someone else or you can get a strain of the virus that is different from the one you have. The medicines you take may not be able to control the new strain
• Always use a condom for oral, anal, or vaginal sex and find out how to use a condom the right way

Stop the spread of HIV when using IV street drugs

HIV harms your immune system. When you use IV street drugs (drugs you inject into your body with a needle), you harm your immune system even more. The best thing is to quit using drugs. If you cannot quit:

• Do not share your drug kit. When you let other people share your needles and syringes, all of you are at risk for getting HIV
• Is there a needle exchange program in your area? If so, use it and tell others about it

Stop the spread of HIV to babies

In the United States, most babies of mothers with HIV are not born with HIV. That's because these mothers do one or more of these things:

• Get on treatment for HIV and stick with it. If you are pregnant and are being treated for HIV, there is only a very small chance that you will pass HIV to your baby
• Have a C-section, not a vaginal birth. If you are pregnant and your virus is not under control, having a C-section before labor begins can lessen the chance of passing HIV to the baby. Ask your healthcare provider if having a C-section is right for you
• Feed your baby formula, NOT breast milk. Also, never mix formula with breast milk

Act quickly if you think you have been exposed. Get to a hospital emergency room right away. Tell a nurse or doctor that you have been exposed to HIV. Your chance of getting HIV may be less if you take HIV medicines in the first 72 hours after exposure.

Next >> Are you or others at risk?