Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a chronic and life-threatening illness caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. With about 33.4 million people worldwide infected with HIV and more than 2 million deaths per year resulting from AIDS-related illnesses, this disease is a major epidemic, according to the World Health Organization. The only way to prevent AIDS is to prevent infection with HIV and with no simple vaccine available, prevention methods must be practiced by both HIV-positive individuals and those who are not infected.
Education
Providing education about HIV and how it is transmitted is vital to preventing the spread of the disease. Educating the population about AIDS ensures that people have accurate information, promotes awareness about the disease and eliminates the stigma of the disease, which in turn reduces discrimination against those infected with HIV.
Individuals that fall into a high risk group, including men who engage in sexual acts with other men and intravenous drug users, also need to be educated to prevent the spread of the disease. Many people fear HIV and AIDS because they do not understand and fear fuels secrecy, preventing patients from seeking testing and treatment. Patients who are infected with HIV or have AIDS also need to be educated on how to protect themselves from contracting other diseases and how to prevent their partners from becoming infected.
Safe Sex
HIV is often transmitted through sexual contact because bodily fluids, including semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk, all contain the active virus. Preventing HIV infection through sexual transmission is as easy as ABC. The organization AVERT, dedicated to averting HIV and AIDS, lists the World Health Organizations definition of ABC: A is for abstinence or delaying first sex; B is for being safer by being faithful to one partner or by reducing the number of sexual partners; and C is for correct or consistent use of condoms for sexually active young people, couples in which one partner is HIV-positive, sex workers and their clients, and anyone engaging in sexual activity with partners who might have been at risk for HIV infection.
Don't Share Needles
HIV can be transmitted through contact with HIV-contaminated blood. Those who inject medications intravenously, including illegal drugs or steroids, are at an increased risk of getting AIDS if they share their needles or works, which include cotton, water and syringes. Those who do inject drugs should only use clean needles.
Intravenous drug users should also be tested for HIV once a year to be sure they have not contracted the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 21 percent of all those infected with HIV are not aware of their infection. Not knowing if you are infected increases the risk of passing the virus on to others.
