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In summer, almost 30 percent the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases is increasing. The season of holidays and holidays is conducive to love adventures. Unfortunately, sometimes they end up infected with venereal diseases, as well as HIV, which in turn leads to AIDS.
Risky sexual behavior increases the risk of HIV infection and, consequently, the development of a more advanced and deadly form of the disease - AIDS. HIV is spread mainly through sexual contact. Viruses that can be found in the blood of a sick person, but also in sperm or vaginal discharge, penetrate the blood of a he althy person through minor damage to the skin or mucosa.
The best way to protect yourself from HIV is to avoid risky sexual behavior, and if such behavior happens to you, remember about safety precautions. A moment of forgetfulness can have an impact on your whole life, so it's worth learning about ways to reduce the risk of falling ill.
How to protect yourself from HIV infection
Casual sex - only with a condom
It should be emphasized thatcondoms are the only contraceptive with proven effectiveness in HIV prevention so far . Therefore, each so-called casual sex, that is, having sex with someone we do not know well, should only take place with the use of condoms. Otherwise, the risk of HIV transmission is much greater. It has also been proven to be higher in women than in men because the female mucosa is easily irritated and viruses penetrate it.
Regular examinations - you will do them free of charge and anonymously
Reducing HIV infections only to cases where the partners are little known to each other is too simplistic. Observations from recent years indicate that the number of women diagnosed with HIV is increasing, despite the fact that from the beginning of their sexual life they had contacts with two, three or even one partner - their own husband. While these are rare cases, they show that no one can really feel 100% free from the risk of contracting HIV.
The only way to be sure that we are not affected is to have an HIV test performed. If we often change partners - such a study should be donedo it every now and then. Similarly, if we have recently taken up risky sexual behavior - in this case, we should also undergo an examination after each such episode. They can be done free of charge and anonymously at selected consultation and diagnostic points (PKD) - the current list of facilities can be found at: http://www.aids.gov.pl/pkd/.
See what HIV testing looks like
Worth knowingWho Should Get HIV Tested?
According to the recommendations of the National AIDS Center, HIV testing should be done by anyone who:
- has ever had sexual contact with a little-known person, an HIV-positive person, a person who has multiple sexual partners or partners;
- anyone with multiple sexual partners or partners;
- had unprotected sex with a condom;
- has ever had a sexually transmitted disease;
- has ever had contact with a drug injector;
- injected drugs;
- performed tattoos or piercings in non-sterile conditions;
- under the influence of drugs he has lost his temper or consciousness and does not remember what happened to him.
Faithfulness to your partner
The greater the number of sexual partners, the greater the risk of HIV infection. The best way to avoid getting sick is to stay in a monogamous relationship where both partners are faithful to each other. Of course, for many reasons, such a model of behavior does not have to be satisfactory for everyone, and it does not mean that such people have to adapt to the monogamous model of intercourse. You can have multiple partners, but by following the rules of safe sex, using a condom, you are unlikely to catch the virus. Nevertheless, they are still greater than in a one-person fidelity relationship.
Avoiding drugs and drinking moderately
One of the risk factors for HIV infection is injecting drug use. Currently, thanks to preventive actions, such as the distribution of disposable syringes by volunteers in drug addicts' communities, the percentage of people who have become infected with HIV in this way is very small. However, it is still possible if the injection equipment is used previously by someone else.
But it is not only injecting drugs that can contribute to the development of HIV. Any psychoactive substance that affects perception, changes behavior, causes memory gaps, is an additional risk factor. We can be under the influence of e.g. cocaine, ecstasy or large amounts of alcoholmore likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, which in turn increases the risk of becoming infected with HIV. The situation is aggravated by the fact that we often do not remember what happened to us or know the people we spent time with, so we may not even register the moment when a potential infection occurred.
Choosing a tattoo and piercing salon carefully
If the body piercing or tattooing tools are not sterilized, there is a risk of virus transmission into the blood during tattooing. For this reason, you should choose only proven tattoo and piercing salons, for which we are sure that they comply with the rules of hygiene, and the equipment is sterilized after each client.
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The article uses excerpts from the text of Beata Prasałek from the monthly "Zdrowie".