#StopHIVTogether: Protect Yourself from Infection

Every year on the 10th day of March , the Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health (OWH) leads the National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD). The aim is to shed light on the impact of HIV infection on women and girls, and to show support for women and girls who are at risk of or living with HIV.

Theme for 2021 is, HIV Prevention Starts with Me: Ending the HIV Epidemic Together, emphasizes the important role that everyone plays in HIV prevention, including community organizations, health care professionals, women, men, and people living with HIV.

Steps to Protect Oneself from HIV infection:

• Get an HIV test.
• Practice safe sex; use condoms.
• Visit a doctor right away if you think you may have been exposed to HIV.
• If your partner has HIV and you’re HIV-negative, talk to a doctor about taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill that can reduce your risk of getting HIV from sex by over 90%.
• If you’re living with HIV, and taking a daily pill (antiretroviral medication), make sure you take it as prescribed to achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load to help prevent transmission.
• And if you’re a health care professional, make sure you know the screening guidelines, talk to patients about their risk and encourage people with HIV to stick with their treatment.

Ten Things You Must Know About HIV Today

1. PrEP works in the real world
2. HIV can be detected within weeks
3. Late testing can be lethal
4. Undetectable viral load can be an effective HIV prevention strategy
5. Repeated exposures increase the risk of an activity
6. Not every HIV exposure leads to an infection
7. Rectal fluid can transmit HIV
8. People aren’t using condoms correctly
9. People with HIV can have a near-normal life expectancy
10. Prepare for an aging HIV epidemic

Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.