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Healthcare workers should use gloves, masks, protective eyewear, shields, and gowns in situations where exposure to bodily fluids is a possibility. Frequently and thoroughly washing the skin immediately after coming into contact with blood or other bodily fluids can reduce the risk of infection. Healthcare works should follow a set of procedures known as universal precautions to prevent transmission. Pregnancy: Certain antiretrovirals might harm an unborn fetus during pregnancy. However, an effective, well-managed treatment plan can prevent mother-to-fetus HIV transmission. Delivery through caesarean section may be necessary. Women who are pregnant but have HIV might also pass on the virus through their breast milk. However, regularly taking the correct regimen of medications greatly reduces the risk of transmitting the virus. Discuss all options with a healthcare provider. Education: Teaching people about known risk factors is vital to equip them with the tools to avoid exposure to HIV. Living with HIV A person with HIV can live a full and active life, as long as they adhere to treatment. Due to the added risk of other infections and disease, people living with HIV must make lifestyle adjustments to accommodate their reduced immunity. Adherence: Taking HIV medication as prescribed is absolutely essential to effective treatment. Missing even a few doses might jeopardize the treatment. Program a daily, methodical routine to fit the treatment plan around any existing lifestyle and schedule. Treatment plans will be different between people. People sometimes refer to "adherence" as "compliance".HIV medications can cause particularly severe side effects that often deter people from adherence. Learn more about the adverse effects of HIV medication by clicking here. If side effects are becoming too severe, speak to your medical team rather than simply stopping medication. They can switch the regimen to a better-tolerated drug. General health: Taking steps to avoid illness and other infections is key. People living with HIV should seek to improve overall health through regular exercise, a balanced, nutritious diet, and the cessation of any drugs, including tobacco. Additional precautions: People living with AIDS should take extra precautions to prevent any exposure to infection, especially around animals. Avoid coming into contact with animal feces and pet litter. Doctors also recommend the meticulous and regular washing of hands. Antiretrovirals reduce the need for these precautions. Regular contact with doctors: HIV is a lifelong condition, so regular contact with a healthcare team is important for updating treatment in line with advancing age and other conditions. The healthcare team will regular review and adjust treatment accordingly. Psychological effects: Common misconceptions about AIDS and HIV are reducing as understanding of the disease increases. However, stigma around the condition continues in many parts of the world. People living with HIV may feel excluded, persecuted, and isolated. An HIV diagnosis can be very distressing, and feelings of anxiety or depression are common. If you feel anxious or have symptoms of depression, seek medical help immediately. Takeaway HIV is a misunderstood and potentially dangerous disease that reduces the effectiveness of the immune system in combatting other infections. Advances in modern medicine person living with HIV can have a near-normal life expectancy and active lifestyle. A person receiving antiretroviral therapy must adhere strictly to their regime for the most effective results. HIV transmits in bodily fluids, such as semen or vaginal secretions during sex, or blood. In the United States, HIV most frequently transmits through sexual intercourse without a condom or PrEP and sharing needles when injecting drugs. However, if a person has a viral load that HIV tests cannot detect, they cannot transmit the virus to another person. If HIV advances, for example in situations where a person is not aware of their HIV status or does not receive treatment, it can progress to a late stage known as AIDS. AIDS can open the door to a range of infections known as opportunistic infections that pose a severe risk to health. Some are extreme or prolonged presentations of infections that