HEALTH ++ WELLNESS WELLNESS HEALTH
Preventing HIV:
5 Ways You Can Avoid Infection
story by Laura Lee Samuel, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Family Nurse Practitioner HopeHealth The Centers of Disease Prevention and Control reports nearly 37,000 people in the United States were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2019. Of those, 680 were in South Carolina. They join the almost 15,000 South Carolina residents that are living with HIV or AIDS today. For 30 years, HopeHealth has supported those living with HIV or AIDS. From its beginning as an all-volunteer support group, to an AIDS Service Organization helping people live full lives through treatment, to today’s primary care practice that can also help prevent new infections. What is the age group with some of the highest risk of contracting HIV? Our youth ages 13-24! While the annual rate of infection is decreasing, the CDC estimates 21 percent of those new infections in 2018 were in youths. Parents can make a difference. Talk to your teens early about HIV, how it is spread and how to protect themselves. Don’t be afraid to discuss the standard and why it is important for them to make safe decisions.
HIV, short for human immunodeficiency virus, damages your immune system, disabling your ability to fight infections. If untreated, HIV can cause AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. While decades of research and the development of effective treatments can now help those diagnosed with HIV live long, healthy, and relatively normal lives, HIV remains a debilitating and costly illness. If allowed to progress to AIDS with no treatment, patients generally die early in the disease process. However, if one commits to treatment, they can live a long prosperous life. Fortunately, unlike certain viruses like the common cold, flu, or even COVID-19, HIV is not transmitted through coughing, sneezing, or infected droplets on hard surfaces like doorknobs. HIV can only be transmitted through certain bodily fluids, such as blood, sex fluids, or breast milk. By avoiding certain risky behaviors, or quickly seeking medical treatment after exposure, you can greatly reduce your risk of contracting HIV. Here are FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS for preventing HIV infection: 1. Practice Abstinence: Since HIV is primarily a sexually transmitted disease, one of the best ways to prevent it is by refraining from sex, especially with partners whose HIV status is unknown. Reduce risky sexual practices for safer and healthier outcomes. 2. Practice Safe Sex: If you choose to have sex, be sure to use a condom. Condoms can prevent exposure to bodily fluids that carry HIV, protecting you from infection. Oral sex also offers less risk than anal or vaginal intercourse for getting an HIV infection.
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VIPMagSC.com
December 2021
