Drug Use
If you're high on drugs, you might forget to use protection during sex. If you use someone else's equipment (needles, syringes, cookers, cotton or rinse water) you can get infected by tiny amounts of blood. The best way to avoid infection is to not use drugs.
Vertical Transmission
With no treatment, about 25% of the babies of HIV-infected women would be born infected. The risk drops to about 4% if a woman takes AZT during pregnancy and delivery, and her newborn is given AZT. The risk is 2% or less if the mother is taking combination antiviral therapy. Caesarean section deliveries probably don't reduce transmission risk if the mother's viral load is below 1000.
Contact with Blood
HIV is one of many diseases that can be transmitted by blood. Be careful if you are helping someone who is bleeding. If your work exposes you to blood, be sure to protect any cuts or open sores on your skin, as well as your eyes and mouth. Your employer should provide gloves, facemasks and other protective equipment, plus training about how to avoid diseases that are spread by blood.
THE BOTTOM LINE
HIV does not spread easily from person to person. To get infected with HIV, infected blood, sexual fluid, or mother's milk has to get into your body. HIV-infected pregnant women can pass the infection to their new babies.
To decrease the risk of spreading HIV:
• Use condoms during sexual activity
• Do not share drug injection equipment
• If you are HIV-infected and pregnant, talk with your doctor about taking anti-HIV drugs
• If you are an HIV-infected woman, don't breast feed any baby
• Protect cuts, open sores, and your eyes and mouth from contact with blood.
If you think you've been exposed to HIV, get tested and ask your doctor about taking anti-HIV medications.
