How To Prevent HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a viral infection that attacks certain cells in your immune system that help you fight off infections. HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids like semen, vaginal fluid, or blood when they come into contact with open wounds or tissues and mucous membranes.

Your risk of developing HIV increases if you have unprotected sex or share injection needles with others. However, lifestyle habits and medications can help lower your risk. 

Who Is Most at Risk?

Less than 1% of people in the United States have HIV, and the rate of new infections is decreasing. While anyone can develop HIV, certain people have a higher risk of the virus:

• People who have anal sex: Approximately 70% of new cases of HIV are from men who have sex with men. Penetrative sex can expose mucus membranes in the vagina and anus to the virus. Anal sex has a higher rate of HIV transmission than other forms of penetrative sex, so people who have anal sex (regardless of assigned sex) are at higher risk of HIV than those who do not participate in anal sex. 
• Black and Latino people: Minority groups in the U.S. have a higher risk of contracting HIV than others. In 2021, Black people made up 40% of new HIV cases, while Latino people made up 29% of new HIV cases. Many factors contribute to the higher rate of HIV experienced by minority groups, including discrimination, income inequality, reduced healthcare access, and educational disparities. 
• Individuals who use injectable drugs: Approximately 8% of new cases reported in 2021 were from people who used injectable drugs. HIV is highly transmissible through injections that use shared needles or syringes, such as during recreational or illicit use of heroin. 

Genetics

HIV is not passed from the parents to their children through genetics. However, children of HIV-positive mothers may be born with HIV. This form of HIV transmission is called perinatal transmission and occurs when babies are infected with the virus during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.

Many HIV-positive mothers who have undetectable viral loads due to proper HIV management have children who do not contract the virus. In the United States, less than 1% of babies born to HIV-positive mothers become HIV-positive themselves. 

How To Reduce Risk

HIV is a lifelong condition that currently has no cure. However, there are several things you can do to reduce your risk of contracting HIV or transmitting the virus to others. The primary method of reducing your risk is proper education on the prevention of HIV and staying up-to-date on testing.

HIV Testing

A blood or saliva test is available to determine if you have a detectable HIV infection. HIV testing is typically free at school health clinics, your local health department, or through your health insurance. Home testing is also possible in some locations. An HIV test is often included in a sexually transmitted infection (STI) screen offered when you visit a gynecologist for a check-up or at your yearly physical with your primary care physician. 

Healthcare providers recommend that you test for HIV frequently if you engage in activities that are at higher risk for contracting the virus, such as using injectable drugs, having frequent penetrative sex with different partners, or engaging in anal sex.

Testing you and your partner before having sex is one way to prevent HIV transmission. However, it may take up to three months before a person tests positive for HIV after exposure to the virus. 

If you test positive for HIV at a healthcare facility, certain information may be shared by the state health department with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and national databases to help track trends in HIV transmission. This information will not include any identifiable information, such as your name or address.

Lifestyle Habits

Several lifestyle habits can reduce your chances of getting HIV. These include the following:

• Use condoms: The virus cannot travel through barriers such as latex or polyurethane (latex-free) condoms, making these barriers highly effective methods of reducing sexual transmission of the virus. However, lambskin condoms only help prevent pregnancy and do not protect against HIV. Consistent and correct use of latex or polyurethane condoms is approximately 85% effective at reducing your risk of contracting HIV from someone who is HIV positive.
• Communicate with partners: In a recent study, only up to 51% of individuals surveyed reported using a condom the last time they had sex. There is also stigma associated with HIV, making people more reluctant to talk about and test for it. Open communication with your partners about your sexual activity can help reduce your risk of transmitting or contracting the virus. 
• Limit drug use: Using injectable drugs like heroin also increases your risk of HIV. Not sharing needles, stopping the use of injectable drugs, and maintaining sobriety can help reduce your risk of HIV.

Medications

Certain medications can lower your risk of developing HIV. These medications are generalized into two categories: medications that help reduce the viral load in an HIV-positive person and medications that help prevent a person from contracting HIV in the first place. 

Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)

If you have HIV, the treatment goal is to reduce your viral load (the amount of virus active in your body). With proper treatment, many people can reach undetectable viral loads. That means there is such a low level of the virus active in your body that an HIV test doesn't test positive. People with undetectable viral loads cannot pass the virus to another partner through sex.

HIV is not curable, but maintaining undetectable viral loads through proper treatment helps support a healthy and long life with HIV. 

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

If you are at a higher risk of contracting HIV, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can prevent you from getting it. People who use injectable drugs, sexual partners of people who use drugs, and people with sexual partners who are HIV-positive may benefit most from this treatment. You may also consider trying PrEP if you have frequent sexual encounters with people who are at higher risk of having HIV. 

Consistent and correct use of PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV. The medication reduces the risk of getting HIV by 74% from injection drug use and by 99% from sex.

Discuss With Your Healthcare Provider

Reach out to a healthcare provider if you have any concerns about getting HIV. Open and honest communication with your healthcare team helps them provide the best care for you. They can help you navigate strategies to reduce your risk of contracting the virus and can prescribe PrEP if necessary.

If you test positive for HIV, they will also prescribe the right ART regimen for you to keep symptoms at bay and improve your quality of life.

A Quick Review

HIV is a viral infection that can affect the function of certain cells in your immune system. The condition does not currently have a cure, so implementing prevention strategies is essential to lower your risk of contracting the virus.

Using condoms, getting HIV tested annually, avoiding injectable drugs, and trying medications like PrEP can all help reduce your risk.