HIV Prevention
As discussed on the HIV risks page, there are several proven methods of HIV
infection. Amongst the most common are:
Injection/Transfusion of Contaminated products
Sharing injecting equipment
From a mother to her child
From a person to their sexual partners
While all UK blood, semen, bone marrow
and organ transplant material is screened for HIV and all clinical procedures
are undertaken with sterile and/or one-use equipment, it is important to
remember that not all countries have the same medical guidelines or access to
clean surgical equipment or screened blood/organ products as the UK.
It is
therefore important to consider travel insurance that will cover emergency
medical evacuation if you are visiting any developing countries (i.e. those
outside Western Europe, North America, New Zealand or Australia).
If you are
visiting a developing country, it may be worthwhile considering buying an
emergency medical kit which includes single use needles, tubing , sutures,
scalpel blades etc. These are available from some pharmacies or your local
travel clinic (in Teesside, The Dept. of Infection & Travel Medicine at James
Cook University Hospital).
Here are some guidelines of what you
should do if you are exposed to potentially infectious material or receive a
puncture wound or cut from contaminated sharps.
| Incident | Action | ||
 |
Infectious material in a cut or puncture (i.e. needle stick injury) |
 |
Encourage the wound to bleed by
squeezing or pressing Wash thoroughly with soap & water Seek immediate medical advice |
|
|
Infectious material on the skin with no cut |
|
Wash with soap and water - there
is no risk of HIV transmission if the skin is intact If there is any damage to the skin, seek medical immediate medical advice |
|
|
Infectious material in the eyes |
|
Rinse the open eye with water or
sterile saline if available Seek immediate medical attention |
|
|
Infectious material in the mouth |
|
Spit out
Rinse with water Repeat Although there is little risk from HIV transmission, many people prefer to seek medical advice after an incident like this |
For more in depth information for health care workers, click here.
Sharing injecting equipment is a very
good way to get HIV &
Hepatitis into the blood stream. Injection needles are not designed to be
shared between people nor used more than once.
The best methods of preventing HIV
transmission from injecting drug use are:
- Do not inject drugs
- If you do inject, do not share ANY equipment with ANYONE
- If you do inject, sterile injecting equipment can be obtained from a needle exchange.
Needle exchanges are often not popular with the public but they are not the dens of iniquity as they often portrayed by the popular
press; they do not "promote" drug use. Needle exchanges and drug projects are
provided to minimise harm, educate and support people who use drugs. For many
users they are a stepping stone in the control and even cessation of their drug
use.
In Middlesbrough, the very low numbers
of drug related HIV cases are, in part, thanks to needle exchanges and drug work
projects.
For a list of needle exchanges in the Teesside area, click here
| From a mother to her child: |
All women are now offered an HIV test as part of their antenatal screening. If a mother is found to be HIV+, they will be offered medication during the last trimester (three months) of pregnancy to reduce the mother's viral load- this reduces the risk of passing HIV across the placenta.
Whilst in the womb, the child is effectively protected from any from any infection by the amniotic sac. Once this is broken (i.e. the mother's waters break), the child may be exposed to infected bodily fluids. To prevent HIV being passed to the child during birth, a caesarean section is usually offered. This reduces any contact the child may have with infected bodily fluids and reduces the possibility of HIV transmission.
Breast milk contains high levels of HIV and can easily cause a young child to become infected. To prevent transmission through breast feeding, bottle feeding is recommended.
Providing this medical intervention is given and the mother follows instructions re. breast feeding, the child will have a very low chance of being born with HIV.
| From a person to their sexual partners: |
The most common cause of HIV infection in the UK is through sexual contact with an infected person. HIV does not discriminate between gender or sexuality. If you engage in unprotected sex, you may be at risk from HIV.
Preventing HIV and through sexual contact is very simple. By following the guidelines set out below you can reduce and even remove the risk of HIV infection as well as most STIs.
- Abstain from sex - If you do not have
sex you will not get HIV as a sexually transmitted infection. However
most as our bodies have evolved to have the urge to have sex or reproduce, many
people find abstinence neither easy nor desirable.
- If you do have sex use barrier methods of contraception such as a condom,
female condom.
Click
here for instructions on how to use a condom.
Click
here for instructions on how to use a female condom
- Have less risky sex (i.e. non
penetrative sex)
- Reduce the number of sexual partners you
have.
- Have regular
sexual health screening or
HIV testing
- Masturbation and fingering carry a very low risk but protect yourself fully by ensuring that any cuts and
scratches on the hands or fingers are covered and sexual fluid
does not get into the eyes or mouth.
- Using sex toys poses a risk for HIV infection if they are shared between people. Reduce the risk by not sharing, keeping them clean between uses and if you do share, use a
new condom for each person sharing and for each orifice the sex toy is used on (i.e. do not use a vibrator between
somebody's anus and vagina).
Contact us
for more information