AIDS

HOW TO PREVENT
AIDS
Anyone can get HIV, but you can take steps to protect yourself from HIV infection.
Get tested and know your partners HIV status. Talk to your partner about HIV testing and get tested before you
have sex.
Have less risky sex. Oral sex is much less risky than anal or vaginal sex. Anal sex is the most risky type of sex for
HIV transmission.
Use condoms. Use a condom correctlyevery time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Read this fact sheet from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)on how to use condoms correctly.
Limit your number of sexual partners. The more partners you have, the more likely you are to have a partner with
HIV whose HIV is not well controlled or to have a partner with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Both of these
factors can increase the risk of HIV transmission. If you have more than one sexual partner, get tested for HIV
regularly.
Get tested and treated for STDs. Insist that your partners get tested and treatedtoo. Having an STD can increase
your risk of becoming infected with HIVor spreading it to others.
Talk to your health care provider about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).PrEP is an HIV prevention option for
people who dont have HIV but who are at high risk of becoming infected with HIV. PrEPinvolves taking a
specificHIV medicine every day. PrEP should always be combined with other prevention options, such as condoms.
Dont inject drugs. But if you do, use onlysterile drug injection equipment and water and never share your
equipment with others.

HOW HIV IS SPREAD

HIV can spread only incertain body fluids from a person infected with HIV:
Blood
Semen
Pre-seminal fluids
Rectal fluids
Vaginal fluids
Breast milk
The spread of HIV (called HIV transmission) is only possible if these fluids come in contact with a mucous membrane or damaged
tissue or are directly injected into the bloodstream (from a needle or syringe). Mucous membranes are found inside the rectum,
the vagina, the opening of the penis, and the mouth.
In the United States, HIV is spread mainly by having sex or sharing injection drug equipment, such as needles, with someone who
has HIV.
HIV can also spread from an HIV-infected woman to her child during pregnancy, childbirth (also called labor and delivery), or
breastfeeding. This spread of HIV is called mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
In the past, some people were infected with HIV after receiving a blood transfusion or organ or tissuetransplant from an HIVinfected donor. Today, this risk is very low because donated blood, organs, and tissues arecarefully tested in the United States.

SIGNS AND SYMTONS OF AIDS

Within2-4 weeksafter HIV infection, many, but not all, people experience flu-like symptoms, often described as the
worst flu ever. This is called acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) and its the bodys natural response to the HIV infection.
Symptoms can include:
Fever (this is the most common symptom)
Swollen glands
Fatigue
Muscle and joint aches and pains
Headache
These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
You should not assume you have HIV just because you have any of these symptoms. Each of these symptoms can be
caused by other illnesses.And some people who have HIVdo not show any symptoms at allfor 10 years or more.
If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, get an HIV test. Most HIV tests detect antibodies (proteins your body
makes against HIV), not HIV itself. But it takes a few weeks for your body to produce these antibodies, so if you test too
early, you might not get an accurate test result. A new HIV test is available that can detect HIV directly during this early
stage of infection. So be sure to let your testing site know if you think you may have been recently infected with HIV.
You are at high risk of transmitting HIV to others during this early stage, even if you have no symptoms. For this reason, it
is very important to take steps to reduce your risk of transmission.

SKIN WHEN INFECTED

WITH AIDS

HIV AND AIDS

While HIV is a virus that may cause an infection, AIDS is a condition or a
syndrome. Being infected with HIV can lead to having AIDS, which stands for
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. AIDS develops when HIV has caused
serious damage to the immune system.