HIV/AIDS research, treatment, and outreach are rich with opportunities for those looking to lend a helping hand. This guide provides extensive information on how professionals can apply their expertise to the fight against HIV.
While treatment options for those living with HIV and AIDS have improved exponentially over the years, there is still a lot to be done. Students who earn public health and other degrees can use their expertise to help those with the virus live long and full lives, as well as contribute to prevention and education efforts.
This guide takes a comprehensive look at HIV, including prevention, testing and ways to stay healthy after contracting the disease. It also examines how HIV and AIDS impact families and communities, and how health professionals and those in non-health-related fields can make a lasting difference. See how you can play a key part in preventing HIV and AIDS as well as helping those already affected.
Meet the Expert
Anisha Gandhi
Anisha Gandhi, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and postdoctoral fellow at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She earned her BA in Integrative Biology as well as her MPH in Maternal and Child Health from the University of California, Berkeley and holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This content does not reflect the views or positions of Columbia University or the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
Reducing Your Risk: How to Steer Clear of HIV
HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids, such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal, rectal, and pre-seminal fluids. With this in mind, there are a number of things that people can do to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.
Safe Sexual Activity
Sexual activity is the primary way that HIV is spread in the United States. In order to reduce the risk of contracting the disease, sexually active individuals should practice safe sex, such as proper and consistent use of condoms during oral, vaginal, or anal sexual activities. The use of lubricant during vaginal, and especially anal sex, can also reduce the risk of small tears and lesions that can increase the risk of transmission or acquisition. Many types of lubricant, including water and silicone-based varieties, can be used safely with condoms.
Another way people can reduce the risk of HIV is to limit their number of sexual partners, thus reducing their chances of exposure. Also, people should get tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections on a regular basis, and should encourage their sexual partners to do the same.
When an HIV-negative individual is in a relationship with someone who is HIV-positive, he or she must be vigilant about protection. For example, in addition to safe sex practices and getting tested regularly, HIV-negative partners should encourage their partners to keep up with antiretroviral therapy, which lowers the viral load and reduces the risk of transmission. Similarly, the HIV-negative partner may want to consider getting a prescription for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP therapy relies on the same antiretroviral medications that are used to treat HIV, and taking them consistently can significantly reduce the chances of becoming infected.
Responsible Drug Use and Awareness
Intravenous drug use is another major way that HIV is spread in the United States. Those who use these drugs may contract HIV if they share injecting equipment with someone who is infected. People who use intravenous drugs can protect themselves by using only drug equipment that is new and sterilized, and never sharing with others. The ease of obtaining sterile injection supplies can vary by geographic area and state and local laws and the availability of local syringe exchange programs.
Being under the influence of drugs, or even alcohol, may increase the risk of getting HIV because it lowers inhibitions and impairs the ability to make sound decisions. As a result, a person may forget to use condoms during intercourse or sterile needles when they use drugs, which increases transmission risk.
Mother-to-Child Transmission
HIV can be transmitted from a mother to a child during pregnancy or childbirth, as well as through breastfeeding. Without intervention, there is a 25 percent chance of an HIV-positive mother passing the virus on to her baby, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. However, adopting safer practices during and after pregnancy, including maternal use of antiretroviral therapy, delivering through Caesarian section, and avoiding breastfeeding, the risk of mother-to-child transmission can be dramatically reduced.
In June 2015, Cuba became the first country to receive validation from the World Health Organization as having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
When, Where & How to Get HIV Tested
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2012 there were an estimated 156,300 people in the U.S. living with HIV who had not yet been diagnosed. In spite of many significant advances, roughly 50,000 more people nationally are infected with HIV each year. Getting tested is extremely important, as it allows those infected to get treatment that will not only help them lead healthy lives, but that will reduce the risk of transmission to others.
The CDC recommends that individuals aged 13-64 be tested routinely for HIV. Individuals with higher risk – including persons who change partners frequently or have multiple partners; men who have sex with men; persons who inject drugs or have sexual partners that inject drugs; persons who exchange sex for money or drugs; or persons who have sexual partners of unknown HIV status or HIV-positive status – should get tested at least once a year. Regular HIV testing is also recommended for people who have been diagnosed with hepatitis or tuberculosis.
Types of HIV Tests
There are five types of HIV tests available. Three types are administered by health care professionals, while the others are FDA-approved home tests: