AIDS\HIV INFECTION: PREVENTION
It is all we have at the moment. Even if a treatment became available tomorrow, not getting infected in the first place would still be a much better option.
This disease has been responsible for creating a great deal of fear, hysteria, and discrimination. Consequently, misinformation has been spread about how you get it and how you avoid it. The major ways the virus is spread have already been outlined. It can potentially be spread through other contact with blood or body fluids, such as occupational exposure to blood and needles in health workers, or accidents, etc. While important, in reality transmission by these other routes makes up a tiny proportion of cases. It is important that we concentrate on the major routes of transmission, as most spread occurs through these means.
Major advertising campaigns have been launched to inform and educate the general public about HIV/AIDS. The main take-home messages are ‘use condoms’, and ‘don’t share needles’. Fairly sound advice, if you don’t want to get AIDS.
The problem seems to be that a large number of people in the community don’t consider themselves at risk of catching it in the first place. AIDS awareness is growing, but we are not necessarily acting on our knowledge.
If you don’t want to get AIDS you need to be sensible, and everyone knows that being sensible never sounds like fun. (Does getting AIDS sound like fun?) No one asked for AIDS, but now that it is here we need to learn to live with it.
The recommendations are:
• ‘Safer sex’—sexual practices in which no semen or vaginal secretions are exchanged—is thought to reduce risk. This includes using condoms.
• NEVER share needles or syringes. Needle exchange programmes are available in many centres in Australia—’further information is available from resource centres.
• All sexual contacts of a person who is found to be HIV positive should be contacted in order to be offered counselling and testing. The general principles about avoiding STDs apply to HIV/AIDS as well. Having sex is a serious business. It is worth while putting a little thought into it.
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