How can HIV be prevented?
Despite considerable investment and research, there is currently no vaccine for HIV, and microbicides (designed to prevent HIV being passed on during sex) are still undergoing trials. However, there are other ways that people can protect themselves from HIV infection, which are the basis of HIV prevention efforts around the world.
Education about HIV and how it is spread is an essential part of HIV prevention. HIV education needs to be culturally appropriate and can take place in various settings, for example lessons at school, media campaigns, or peer education.
Preventing sexual transmission of HIV
If a person has sexual intercourse with someone who has HIV they can become infected. ‘Safer sex’ refers to things that a person can do to minimise their risk of HIV infection during sexual intercourse; most importantly, using condoms consistently and correctly.
A person can be certain that they are protected against HIV infection by choosing not to have sex at all, or by only doing things that do not involve any blood or sexual fluid from one person getting into another person's body. This kind of sexual activity is the only thing that can be considered ‘safe sex’.
Effective sex education is important for providing young people with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from sexual transmission of HIV. Comprehensive sex education should develop skills and attitudes that encourage healthy sexual relationships, as well as provide detailed information about how to practise ‘safer sex’.
Preventing transmission of HIV through blood
A person can protect him or herself against HIV infection by ensuring that HIV infected blood does not enter their body.
Injecting drug users who share injecting equipment or works are at risk of HIV infection. Needle exchange programmes can help to prevent HIV transmission among drug users by providing clean needles and disposing of used ones.
Health care workers can be exposed to HIV infected blood while at work. The most effective way to limit their risk of HIV infection is to use universal precautions with every patient, for example washing hands and wearing protective barriers (gloves, aprons, goggles). In the event that a healthcare worker is exposed to potentially HIV infected blood at work, PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) is recommended as an HIV prevention measure.
Preventing mother to child transmission of HIV
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be prevented by using antiretroviral drugs, which reduce the chances of a child becoming infected with HIV from around 25% to less than 2%. Once a child is born, safer infant feeding practices can also greatly reduce the risk of HIV being passed on from mother to child.
For these precautions to be taken, an HIV positive mother must firstly be aware of her status. This is why HIV testing in pregnancy is a crucial prevention measure.
The full story of HIV and AIDS
HIV is only half the story...
What happens when HIV develops into AIDS? Why are approximately 1.8 million people dying from AIDS each year? What are the effects of the global AIDS epidemic?
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