If you are sexually active, protect yourself from HIV infection by practicing safer sex. Whenever you have sex, use a condom or "dental dam" (a square of latex recommended for use during oral-genital and oral-anal sex). When used properly and consistently, condoms are extremely effective. But remember: Use only latex condoms (or dental dams). Lambskin products provide little protection against HIV.

Use only water-based lubricants. Latex condoms are virtually useless when combined with oil- or petroleum-based lubricants such as Vaseline or hand lotion. (People with latex allergies can use polyethylene condoms with oil-based lubricants.)

Use protection each and every time you have sex.

If needed, consult a nurse, doctor or health educator for guidance on the proper use of latex barriers.

If you are injecting drugs of any type, including steroids, do not share syringes or other injection equipment with anyone else. (Disinfecting previously used needles and syringes with bleach can reduce the risk of HIV transmission.) If you are planning to have any part of your body pierced or to get a tattoo, be sure to see a qualified professional who uses sterile equipment. Detailed HIV prevention information for drug users who continue to inject is available from the CDC's National Prevention Information Network at 1-800-458-5231 or online.

Having a sexually transmitted disease can increase your risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV. This is true whether you have open sores or breaks in the skin (as with syphilis, herpes, chancroid) or not (as with chlamydia and gonorrhea). Where there are breaks in the skin, HIV can enter and exit the body more easily. Even when there are no breaks in the skin, STDs can cause biological changes that may make HIV transmission more likely. Studies show that HIV-infected individuals who are infected with another STD are three to five times more likely to contract or transmit the virus through sexual contact.

The male condom is the only widely available barrier against sexual transmission of HIV. Female condoms are fairly unpopular in the U.S. and still relatively expensive, but they are gaining acceptance in some developing countries. Efforts are also underway to develop topical creams or gels called "microbicides," which can be applied prior to sexual intercourse to kill HIV and block other STDs that facilitate HIV infection.

HIV does not discriminate. It is not who you are, but what you do that determines whether you can become infected with HIV. Worldwide, sexual intercourse is by far the most common mode of HIV transmission, but in the U.S., as many as half of all new HIV infections are now associated either directly or indirectly with injection drug use (i.e., using HIV-contaminated needles to inject drugs or having sexual contact with an HIV-infected drug user). Overall, HIV infection is spreading fastest in this country among young people, women, African Americans and Hispanics.

In western countries, women are four times more likely to contract HIV through vaginal sex with infected males than vice versa. This biological vulnerability is worsened by social and cultural factors that often undermine women's ability to avoid sex with partners who are HIV-infected or to insist on condom use. In the U.S., the proportion of AIDS cases among women more than tripled from 7% in 1985 to 23% in 1999. African American and Hispanic women, who represent less than one-quarter of U.S. women, represent nearly 80% of AIDS cases reported among American women to date.

Nearly half of the roughly 40,000 Americans newly infected with HIV each year are under the age of 25. Approximately two young Americans become infected with HIV every hour of every day, and about 25% of the people now living with HIV in this country became infected when they were teenagers. Statistics show that by the age of 19, at least half of females and 60% of males in this country have engaged in sexual intercourse, and one in six sexually experienced teens has contracted one or more STDs. Many young people also use drugs and alcohol, which can increase the likelihood that they will engage in high-risk sexual behavior.

Despite continued intensive research, experts believe it will be at least a decade before we have a safe, effective and affordable AIDS vaccine. And even after a vaccine is developed, it will take many years before the millions of people at risk of HIV infection worldwide can be immunized. Until then, other HIV prevention methods, such as using condoms and avoiding needle-sharing, will remain essential.

Everyone can play a role in dealing with this epidemic. Here are just a few suggestions for how you can make a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS:

• Volunteer with your local AIDS service organization.
• Talk with the young people you know about HIV/AIDS.
• Urge government officials to provide adequate funding for AIDS research, prevention education, medical care and support services.
• Speak out against AIDS-related discrimination.

Support continued research to develop better treatments and a safe and effective AIDS vaccine by making a donation to amfAR.

Information provided by www.thebody.com

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