How to prevent AIDS

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AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a medical condition that is caused by a virus called HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). A person is diagnosed with AIDS when their immune system is too weak to fight off infections. HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person (semen and vaginal fluids, blood and breast milk). The virus is passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, delivering the baby during childbirth, and through breast feeding. Sometimes, there are many misconceptions about HIV and AIDS. The virus cannot be transmitted from shaking hands, hugging, kissing, sneezing, using the same toilet, sharing towels, etc.

Many people think that there is a vaccine or “cure” for AIDS.  However, there is still no cure for AIDS. The only way to ensure that you avoid AIDS is to be aware of how to prevent HIV infection. There are some steps to prevent the spread of HIV infection. They are: not doing free sex, not sharing needles or syringes and propering education by promoting the effect and the risk of AIDS in the society.

First, by not doing free sex. Having sex with many partners can put a person at risk of being infected with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (gonorrhea, syphilis, etc). HIV can be spread by having unprotected sex. So, do sex only with your monogamous partnership in which both members are uninfected. According to Ministry of Health of China, UNAIDS, WHO. 2005, 43.6% of total HIV/AIDS cases, 19.6% of it caused by having free sex.

Second, by not sharing needles or syringes. Needle is the tool that may spread HIV, the virus of AIDS. If we use  HIV-contaminated needles, certainly we will be infected with that virus. It’s difficult for us to know whether the needles we used from the other people are contaminated or no. In Northeast India, injecting drug use using needles is the major route of HIV transmission . Manipur, a small state in Northeast India with a population of about 2.3 million, is among the Indian states with the highest HIV prevalence. The cumulative number of HIV-positive cases reported in Manipur from the start of the epidemic to May 2008 was 29,602 cases; of these, 42.1% were categorized as having contracted HIV through injecting drug use by sharing needles.So, it will be more saved if we use new needles.Many communities now have needle exchange programs, where you can get rid of used syringes and get new, the sterile ones.

Third, by propering education by promoting the effect and the risk of AIDS in the society. One of the major problems with the spread of HIV and AIDS is the fact that people are not informed. Schools should implement this subject or area to create awareness among us. In Muhammaddiyah university, there is PIKMA YOUTH CENTRE which stand for centre of information and counseling for students. It’s very useful for students who want to know about health education or even want to get the solution from your secret problems.

As we know that there are many weird disease such as AIDS, we should be aware of our health to prevent that illness by not doing free sex, not sharing needles or syringes, and propering education by promoting the effect and the risk of AIDS to societies. We must know all the details about AIDS and what are the effects of AIDS.