Measures to prevent HIV infection

The human immunodeficiency virus is dangerous for the body. Therefore, it is very important to follow all measures for the prevention of HIV infection in order to protect yourself from possible infection. It must be remembered that during communication with an infected person it is impossible to get infected. You can communicate with an HIV-positive person, contact with him, for example, shake hands. Pathogens are not transmitted through the air, through water, so you can not be afraid of getting an infectious disease while swimming in a public pond or pool.

Sexual contact

The virus can be transmitted through certain bodily fluids: through blood fluid, semen, breast milk and vaginal lubrication. There is a risk of spread and infection from any contact with the liquids listed. Therefore, it is very important to know the basic rules for preventing infection with a dangerous virus.

There are no virus particles in salivary fluid or sputum. Therefore, its transmission through touching, sneezing or coughing is excluded.

To reduce the risk of infection during sexual intercourse, certain rules must be followed. It is important to reduce the number of sexual partners, be sure to protect yourself during sex with the help of barrier contraceptives. Such activities will help prevent infection.

Before deciding on intimacy without using a condom, it is recommended that both partners take HIV tests, since many people do not even realize that they are carriers of a dangerous virus. You can buy such tests in pharmacy chains, or contact the services of clinical diagnostic laboratories.

During intimacy, it is recommended to avoid the exchange of body fluids. Infection can occur through traditional contact, as well as during oral or anal sex. The only way to reduce the risk of infection is to use a latex condom. This is especially true of relationships with a partner in whom you are not sure. To avoid contact of biological lubricants with the oral cavity, it is also recommended to use condoms during oral sex.

You need to learn how to use a condom correctly. Before sexual intercourse, you can practice putting on and taking off the device. During these manipulations, it is important that the partner's fluids do not get on the hands, especially if they have abrasions or cuts. You should never open condoms with your teeth, this is fraught with damage and a decrease in the degree of protection, you should also be attentive to the expiration dates of the product and their storage conditions (store in a dry place).

Information awareness also belongs to measures to prevent infection. There are certain myths about protection against infections during sex. Protection against unwanted diseases is only a condom. No other methods during intercourse work against HIV. Circumcision does not reduce the risk of infection. No lubricants, antiseptic or germicidal solutions or vaccines can protect against the virus. There are no safe forms of sexual intercourse. There is a risk of transmitting or receiving the virus during vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Infections through syringes and needles

One of the most important rules to prevent getting the virus is to avoid using drugs. There is a high chance of getting it through needles used by an HIV-positive drug addict. Since the dependence on narcotic substances is very strong, a person does not think about precautionary measures during their introduction into the body. Therefore, the best prevention of the disease is a course of therapy to get rid of addiction.

When using drugs, do not use shared syringes. You also need to be careful when getting a piercing or tattoo. For these manipulations, use only disposable needles. If there is no access to new needles, the used ones must be disinfected. But disinfection will not eliminate the danger completely, but only reduce its likelihood.

Reducing the likelihood of infection

The main measures for the prevention of occupational HIV infection require increased caution when working with body fluids of potential carriers or people with a positive HIV status. You can not reuse a syringe, scalpel, other medical instruments. There should be a special container in the cdl for the used tools. It is necessary to be at the workplace in protective clothing - a mask, gown, gloves, glasses.

A health care worker who has cuts or abrasions and accidentally had direct contact with infected blood or other fluids should be treated with antiseptic solutions as soon as possible and must be tested for HIV infection.

Contact Precautions

In living together with an HIV-positive partner, there are also certain preventive measures. It is important to practice only safe sexual relations - use a barrier contraceptive, exclude the exchange of body fluids during intimacy. Planning pregnancy with an HIV-positive partner also has its own characteristics. To minimize the likelihood of having a sick child, doctors recommend considering alternative options at the stage of pregnancy planning - for example, donor sperm, adoption, surrogacy.

In an unsafe relationship with an infected person, there is a very high risk of infection. If, nevertheless, a decision is made about a joint child with an infected person, it is recommended to consult a doctor in order to carefully plan all stages of conception. During the period of ovulation, it is recommended to limit active sexual contacts. Before sexual intercourse, it is recommended to take the drug prescribed by the doctor. Such medicines are used by people who are at high risk of contracting the virus. It is important to strictly adhere to the recommended dosages and duration of the course. Otherwise, there is no effectiveness from the use of the drug.

Measures after contact with a sick person

If there has been contact with a person infected with the virus, it is important to take appropriate emergency measures to prevent the development of the disease. It is recommended to consult a doctor who will prescribe competent antiretroviral therapy. Usually drugs are prescribed that reduce the risk of infection if taken in a timely manner - no later than three days after contact. It is important to adhere to the recommended dosages, do not abuse them, as this negatively affects health. Such medicines do not cure HIV, but they prevent getting the virus from a sick person.

After a few weeks after contact with the alleged patient, it is recommended to pay attention to possible symptoms of the disease. The primary clinical manifestations of the disease are similar to those of influenza or an acute respiratory viral disease - chills, rashes on the skin of the body, an increase in the size of the lymph nodes appear. Such manifestations can persist for up to one month. In the presence of such signs, it is very important to go to the clinic or take an HIV test yourself. You can buy such tests in pharmacy chains.

It is important to check your health regularly. Get tested regularly for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV at least once a year. The only reliable method for determining the virus in the body is the delivery of blood fluid, smear and urine to the laboratory. Usually the results are ready after two days. When you pass the test yourself, the finished indicators are visualized in half an hour. If a dangerous disease is found in the body, you should immediately register with the AIDS center and start timely antiretroviral therapy.