• General questions
• Transmission

How is HIV transmitted? How effective are latex condoms at preventing HIV? Can I get HIV from casual contact?



• Testing
• Risk reduction
• Pregnancy
• If you're HIV-positive

How is HIV transmitted?
HIV can be transmitted through the blood, sexual fluids (semen, preseminal fluid, or vaginal fluid) or breast milk of an HIV-infected person. People can get HIV one of these fluids enters the body by way of the mucous membranes (the soft, moist skin found in any opening of the body) or the blood stream. The disease can be passed during unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with a HIV-infected person. An HIV-infected mother can transmit HIV to her infant during pregnancy, delivery or while breastfeeding. People can also become infected with HIV when using injection drugs through sharing needles and other equipment (or works) including cookers and cottons with someone who is infected.

How effective are latex condoms at preventing HIV?
Studies have been done to test how well latex condoms work for preventing HIV transmission. This research has shown that latex condoms are highly effective at protecting a person from transmitting or becoming infected with the virus. The studies were done on HIV-negative individuals at high-risk for the disease because there partners were HIV-positive. Latex condoms used consistently and correctly were effective 98-100% of the time.

While not having sex or to having sex with a long-term mutually monogamous partner who is not infected with HIV or other STDs is the only way to protect yourself completely, latex condoms used consistently and correctly are highly effective in preventing HIV and many other STDs. Click on the following link to find out more information about latex condoms in the ASHA Position Statement: Male Latex Condoms as a Public Health Intervention.

Are you, or is someone you know, living with HIV/AIDS?

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