HIV Educational tips.

What are HIV & AIDS?

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

The individuals first contract HIV infection to become AIDS patients. The AIDS condition is when HIV is developed into the full-blown stage with a combination of multiple medical conditions.

So, the person living with HIV is not an AIDS person. He can be an HIV carrier, live with the virus for many and has the potential to spread the infection to uninfected persons.

HIV educational tips.

Having sex without a condom.

If you want to have sexual intercourse outside your marriage, or faithfully partner - always use a condom.

Having sex without the use of a condom you can contract HIV/STI (Sexual Transmitted Infections), unwanted pregnancies (female). In Papua New Guinea, the major mode of HIV transmission is through vaginal sexual intercourse, and this is not the same in many parts of the world.

What transport HIV infection?

Four major vehicles transport HIV from an infected person to an uninfected person. They are infected semen, vaginal fluids, blood and breast milk. 

The infected semen and vaginal fluids have a high chance of transmitting the HIV infection. The blood that comes in contact with an open wound can easily absorb through the soft tissue membrane. Breast milk has a high chance if there is no medical care for pregnant mothers. Currently, all health facilities have medical treatments and support services available for pregnant mothers who want to have babies without HIV, and it's one hundred per cent safe. Many health facilities in Papua New Guinea and around the world are delivering babies without HIV.

So, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider who can support pregnant mothers to have healthy babies.

Multiple sexual partners.

Staying true to one sexual partner stops the transmission of HIV/STI. However, having multiple sexual relationships has a high chance of contracting HIV/STI. 

Condom - the best prevention method.

If you have multiple sexual partners, use a condom. The condom remains the best prevention method and without the use of a condom during sex, you are at a greater risk of HIV/STI.

Getting HIV test.

The key to freeing your mental health stress is getting tested for HIV. Only the test will tell whether you are HIV positive or negative. You can not tell a person by looking at him or her having HIV, no!

Talk to your doctor or healthcare workers where to get tested.

Get treated for STI.

The STI increases the high risk of contracting HIV. One thing to remember is HIV is one of the STIs. The STI spread the same way HIV is transmitted through sexual contact. So, if you have an STI you might as well have HIV. 

Antiretroviral (ART) support.

If you have HIV, you can not vomit it or abort it. What you need to do is talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about how to get ART. The ART can not cure HIV, but it can suppress the virus load in your body so that you stay fas it and healthy as other none infected people.

HIV spread stops with you.

Love life. If you are an infected person respect another person, and engage in protective sex, if you are none infected person, avoid HIV through the use of a condom. The spread of HIV stops in your love for life.