Prevention
Since
no vaccine for HIV is available, the only way to prevent infection by the virus
is to avoid behaviors that put a person at risk of infection, such as sharing
needles and having unprotected sex.
Because
many people infected with HIV have no symptoms, there is no way of knowing with
certainty whether a sexual partner is infected unless he or she has been
repeatedly tested for the virus or has not engaged in any risky behavior. CDC
recommends that people either abstain from sex or protect themselves by using
male latex condoms whenever having oral, anal or vaginal sex. Only male condoms
made of latex should be used, and water-based lubricants should be used with
latex condoms.
Although
some laboratory evidence shows that spermicides can kill HIV organisms, in
clinical trials, researchers have not found that these products can prevent HIV.
The
risk of HIV transmission from a pregnant woman to her fetus is significantly
reduced if she takes AZT during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and her baby
takes it for the first six weeks of life.
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Sex
