Key Public Health Messages For All Populations Related To HIV Prevention

• Regardless of intention to use condoms or other safer sex practices, everyone should discuss their HIV and STD status with potential sex partners PRIOR to engaging in anal, vaginal, or oral sex. This discussion should go beyond a simple statement of disclosure. Possible statements/questions include, but are not limited to: “I’m HIV- (or HIV+), what is your HIV status?” “When was the last time you tested negative?” “What risk have you had since then?” “Have you recently been tested for STDs?” “I’m HIV positive, and for me safe sex means always using condoms for anal sex.”
• Condoms should be used for all anal and vaginal intercourse, unless partners are in mutually monogamous, sero-concordant relationships or have explicit negotiated safety agreements (a relationship where both partners are certain of their concordant HIV status and agree to always use condoms outside of their relationship).
• People with multiple partners, especially those with anonymous partners, should be encouraged to reduce their number of sex partners.
• Members of all risk groups should avoid or reduce alcohol and other drug-mediated sexual activity.
• People who have been diagnosed with HIV, STD, or hepatitis should assist with efforts to ensure that exposed sex or needle-sharing partners know that they have been exposed so the partners can be screened and treated.
Persons with HIV should seek and maintain regular, consistent medical care for their infection. This does not mean that all people with HIV need to be taking highly active anti-retroviral medications, but all people with HIV should develop an on-going relationship with a medical care provider.

POPULATION-SPECIFIC MESSAGES:
• Sexually active gay/bi men, drug injectors, and transgendered individuals should be tested for HIV and STD in accordance with local clinical guidelines
• Gay/bi men, drug injectors, and transgendered individuals should be vaccinated against Hepatitis type A and type B.
• Injecting drug users should use new, sterile syringes and new, clean injection equipment every time they inject or divide drugs.
• Injecting drug users should be tested for HIV and Hepatitis every 12 months.
• Injecting drug users should seek appropriate drug treatment.
• Heterosexuals should be tested for HIV prior to beginning new sexual relationships, and prior to becoming pregnant.

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