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Protecting yourself and others from HIV starts with understanding prevention strategies and the importance of timely treatment. This section covers key prevention methods, such as safe practices, PrEP, and PEP can help people with HIV lead healthy, fulfilling lives while reducing transmission risk.
HOW TO PREVENT HIV & AIDS
Information from Philippine National Aids Council (PNAC)HOW TO PREVENT HIV & AIDS
ABSTAIN FROM SEX
The only way to be sure you won't get HIV from sex is to not have any. This is also called abstinence.
If you don't have sex, you also don't get other STIs or get pregnant.
BE MUTUALLY FAITHFUL
Being mutually faithful to one partner can greatly reduce HIV risk. By staying sexually exclusive, both partners limit exposure to HIV and other STIs, supporting a healthier relationship and safer environment for both.
CORRECT & CONSISTENT USE OF CONDOMS
Using a condom correctly every time you have sexual contact is crucial in preventing HIV, other STIs, and unplanned pregnancies. Condoms provide a protective barrier, reducing the risk of HIV transmission by blocking contact with infected bodily fluids. Consistent condom use promotes safer sex.
DON'T SHARE NEEDLES & DON'T USE DRUGS & ALCOHOL
Not injecting drugs is a foolproof method for avoiding HIV transmission.
Discuss treatment for drug use disorder—including medication-assisted treatment—with a counselor, doctor, or other health care practitioner.
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Understanding how HIV is transmitted, prevented, and treated is key to protecting yourself and others. By staying informed, you can make safer choices, recognize early signs, and support loved ones in getting tested or treated. Knowledge also helps reduce stigma and empowers communities to prevent the spread of HIV, creating a safer environment for all.
COMBINATION HIV PREVENTION & TREATMENT
COMBINATION HIV PREVENTION & TREATMENT
Combination HIV prevention and treatment is a comprehensive approach that uses multiple strategies to reduce the risk of HIV transmission and improve health outcomes for those living with HIV. Instead of relying on just one method, combination prevention integrates several evidence-based practices that work together for greater effectiveness.
Information from PNAC
ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART)
ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART)
HIV treatment involves taking highly effective medicines called antiretroviral therapy (ART) that work to control the virus. ART is recommended for everyone with HIV, and people with HIV should start ART as soon as possible after diagnosis, even on that same day.
If taken as prescribed, HIV medicine reduces the amount of HIV in your blood (also called your viral load) to a very low level, which keeps your immune system working and prevents illness. This is called viral suppression, defined as having less than 200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood.
HIV medicine can also make your viral load so low that a standard lab test can’t detect it. This is called having an undetectable level of viral load. Almost everyone who takes HIV medicine as prescribed can achieve an undetectable viral load, usually within 6 months after starting treatment. Many will bring their viral load to an undetectable level quickly, but it could take more time for a small portion of people just starting HIV medicine.
References:HIV treatment overview. (n.d.). HIV.gov. https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/staying-in-hiv-care/hiv-treatment/hiv-treatment-overview
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