HIV infection

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Antibodies	HIV	Kaposi's sarcoma - lesion on the foot	Kaposi's sarcoma - perianal
Primary HIV infection

Human immunodeficiency virus infection

• Only have protected sexual contact with persons known or suspected of being infected with HIV.
• If you have sex with numerous people or with people who have multiple partners, always use protection.
• Avoid  intravenous (IV) drugs. If IV drugs are used, avoid sharing needles or syringes. Always use new needles. (Boiling or cleaning them with alcohol does not guarantee sterility.)
• If you have sex with people who use IV drugs, always use protection.
• People with AIDS or who have had positive HIV antibody tests may pass the disease on to others. They should not donate blood, plasma, body organs, or sperm. They should not exchange genital fluids during sexual activity.
• Avoid oral, vaginal, or anal contact with semen from HIV-infected individuals.
• Avoid unprotected anal intercourse, since it causes small abrasions in the rectal tissues, through which HIV in an infected partner's semen may be injected directly into the recipient's blood.
• Safer sex behaviors may reduce the risk of acquiring the infection. There is a slight risk of acquiring the infection even if "safe sex" is practiced with the use of condoms, due to the possibility of the condom breaking. Abstinence is the only sure way to prevent sexual transmission of the virus.

Review Date: 02/13/2006
Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.