HIV/AIDS Prevention

Prevention of HIV/AIDS

There is no vaccine for HIV and the only way to prevent infection is to avoid activities and behaviors that are known to transmit the virus. Sharing drug-injection needles is extremely risky, even between people who show no signs of having AIDS, because HIV infection is often asymptomatic for the first 5 to 10 years. In some areas of the United States, reused contaminated needles are the primary cause for HIV transmission.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, not only can injections needle be contaminated, but drug solutions can be contaminated during preparation by

• using blood-contaminated syringes to prepare the drugs;
• reusing and sharing water;
• reusing bottle caps, spoons, and other "cookers" for dissolving and heating the drugs; and
• reusing cotton balls or other "cottons" to filter out particles that can block the needle.

For this reason, needle exchange programs and adequate cleaning techniques are the most effective ways to reduce the risk for needle transmission of HIV and other blood borne diseases for people who are unable to stop using injectable drugs.