How does HIV attack your body?
How you can prevent it
AIDS Committee of Durham Region
When HIV enters the body it can reproduce without
any signs or symptoms. It can take years before the
person develops AIDS. By weakening the body,
HIV/AIDS allows other infections and diseases to
invade the body. When people are first infected with
HIV they usually feel well and often do not know
they are infected.
Being informed is the best way to prevent yourself from
getting infected. If you inject drugs use a new needle
and new supplies every time you inject.
Protect yourself by having safer sex. This means
making sure that the other person’s blood, semen, or
vaginal fluid does not get into your body. Use a latex
condom every time you have anal, vaginal, or oral sex.
The Aids Committee of Durham Region is a
registered charity that strives to work within the
community, and in conjunction with community
partners, on a broad range of social justice issues
which affect our HIV+ clients and those in the
community who are at risk of incection.
How is it spread?
The use of condoms
It can be spread in three ways:
According the World Health Organization, everyday
about 100 million people in the world have sex. ApproxiBy having sexual interaction with an HIV
mately one million result in non planned pregnancies
infected individual without the proper protection and about half a million people get a sexually transmitEvery time someone has vaginal or anal sex with an ted infection. These infections could be prevented with
infected person without using a condom there’s a
the constant and correct use of female or male
high risk of getting infected. There is also a risk of
condoms.
getting infected by having oral sex with someone
who has HIV without using a condom or dental
To make sure your condom use is efficient
dam.
keep this in mind:
By sharing contaminated needles or syringes
HIV is also frequently spread among injection drug
users by the sharing of contaminated instruments.
The virus can also be spread through the use of
non-sterile instruments that enter the body (e.g.
tattooing or skin piercing equipment).
-Store your condoms in a cool dry place. Do not keep
them in your wallet; this will crush the wrapper and the
condoms will go bad. Don’t forget to check for the
expiration date.
-Before opening a condom, make sure the wrapper is
not torn or broken. Do not open the wrapper with your
A woman to her baby
A woman infected with HIV can pass the virus to her teeth, you could damage the condom.
baby during pregnancy, during birth, and through
-Always put the condom on before initiating the interbreast-feeding. Nowadays, there are medications
course. Do not use oil-based lubricants, they can
that reduce the risk of an HIV positive woman
weaken the latex and make it break. Use only waterinfecting her baby.
based lubricants.
Who is at risk of getting infected?
Anyone.
HIV is a virus that can get into anyone without
distinction of gender, sexual preference, age, social
status, culture, religion or way of life. Any person
that is sexually active or shares infected injecting
instruments can get infected.
HIV can NOT be transmitted by:
-Insect bites
-Using public places like pools, bathrooms, restaurants
-Shaking hands, hugging, or having everyday contact
with infected people, as well as working, living, studying
or performing any activity close to them.
-Using the same cooking or eating utensils
-Taking care of someone living with HIV/AIDS
-Kissing an infected person
The AIDS Committee of Durham Region
401—22 King Street West.
Oshawa, Ontario. L1H 1A3
Tel: 905.576.1445
Fax: 905.576.4610
Web: www.aidsdurham.com
[email protected]
AIDS Committee of Durham Region
El AIDS Committee of Durham Region es una organizacion de caridad que se preocupa por trabajar en la
comunidad y en conjunto con otras organizaciones
comunitarias en una variedad de problemas de justicia
social que afectan a nuestros clientes VIH positivos y a
aquellos en la comunidad en riesgo de ser infectados.
The AIDS Committee of Durham Region
401—22 King Street West.
Oshawa, Ontario. L1H 1A3
Tel: 905.576.1445
Fax: 905.576.4610
Web: www.aidsdurham.com
[email protected]
Do you know what
HIV/AIDS is? Do you know
how people get infected?
Do you know how
to prevent it?
Sabes que es el VIH/SIDA?
Conoces las formas de
transmisión? Sabes
como prevenirlo?
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