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ENCYCLOPEDIA INDEX

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HIV infection

Alternative Names:

Human immunodeficiency virus infection

Prevention:

Do not have sexual contact with persons known or suspected of being infected with HIV.
Do not have sex with numerous people or with people who have multiple partners. Do not have sex with prostitutes.
Do not use intravenous (IV) drugs. If IV drugs are used, do not share needles or syringes. (Boiling or cleaning them with alcohol does not guarantee sterility.)
Do not have sex with people who use IV drugs.
People with AIDS or who have had positive HIV antibody tests may pass the disease on to others. They should not donate blood, plasma, body organs, or sperm. They should not exchange body fluids during sexual activity.
Avoid oral, vaginal, or anal contact with semen.
Avoid anal intercourse, since it causes small abrasions in the rectal tissues, through which HIV in an infected partner's semen may be injected directly into the recipient's blood.
Avoid oral contact with the anus, and do not engage in the insertion of fingers or fists into the anus, as either an active or receptive partner.
Do not allow a partner's urine to enter your mouth, anus, eyes, or open cuts or sores.
Safer sex behaviors may reduce the risk of acquiring the infection. There is a risk of acquiring the infection even if "safe sex" is practiced with the use of condoms. Abstinence is the only sure way to prevent sexual transmission of the virus.