Men's Health Guide: Three Core Approaches and Measures for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention

Prevention of AIDS

Since the first AIDS patients appeared on Earth in 1981, AIDS has rapidly spread across all five continents, and now almost every country and region in the world is affected by HIV. The World Health Organization reports that the number of people infected with HIV has reached 14 million, with more than 2.5 million developing AIDS. This number continues to rise. In the United States, there are 280,000 AIDS patients, making it the number one social problem. In Uganda, with a population of 16 million, it is estimated that about 10% of the population will be infected with HIV in recent years, seriously threatening the survival of the nation. In Asia, the number of AIDS cases has also risen rapidly in recent years. Neighboring countries like India and Thailand, which reported only a few dozen HIV infections five years ago, now have 1 million and 500,000 cases respectively. my country discovered its first AIDS case in 1985. By the end of September 1995, a total of 2,594 HIV infections had been reported nationwide, with 80 developing into AIDS patients, of whom 50 had died. According to experts, the actual number of people living with HIV/AIDS in my country far exceeds the officially reported number, possibly reaching 50,000 to 100,000. Currently, HIV/AIDS outbreaks have been reported in 26 of the 30 provinces in my country, excluding Taiwan.

Compared to other countries, my country has a relatively low HIV/AIDS incidence rate, but the rate of increase in the number of patients and infected individuals has accelerated significantly in recent years. The number of reported HIV/AIDS infections nationwide in 1994 was double that of 1993, and the number in the first half of 1995 was higher than the total number for the entire year of 1994. Therefore, understanding HIV/AIDS and strengthening preventive measures are of great significance for reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS in my country and protecting the health of Chinese citizens.

1. Prevention of Sexual Transmission

① Do not participate in prostitution or soliciting, and avoid extramarital sexual activity.

② Single individuals should strictly restrain themselves regarding sexual behavior.

2. Prevention of Blood Transmission

① Do not try drugs; those already addicted should quit immediately. Because intravenous drug use is the easiest way to transmit HIV, and drug users are highly susceptible to this method of drug use.

② When a blood transfusion is necessary, always verify the reliability of the blood source beforehand. If the patient cannot do so, their family has the right to request an explanation from medical staff regarding the blood source.

③ Do not bring blood products back from abroad, and do not receive injections of blood products that are not essential.

④ Ensure that each person receives a separate needle and syringe for immunization; refuse to share syringes with other patients.

⑤ When receiving tooth extractions or other oral treatments, injections, or acupuncture at hospitals or clinics, ensure that strict sterilization has been performed. Refuse any examinations or treatments that are not properly sterilized.

⑥ When treating illnesses, avoid injections if oral medication is available; avoid medications that are not essential.

⑦ Do not go to barbershops or beauty salons with inadequate sterilization procedures. If the tools and needles used in hairdressing and beauty treatments are not properly sterilized, HIV may be transmitted during procedures such as shaving, ear piercing, and eyebrow tattooing.

⑧ Pedicure knives in bathhouses should be thoroughly disinfected, one knife per person. Otherwise, if one person uses one knife and then shares it with another without proper disinfection, it can easily lead to HIV infection. This is because the temperature in a bathhouse is particularly suitable for the survival of HIV from blood on the pedicure knife.

⑨ Do not borrow razors or shaving blades from each other. Using these tools often causes skin abrasions, leading to contamination and infection.

⑩ Do not get tattoos.

⑪ When treating bleeding patients, try to avoid direct contact of your skin with their blood, especially if your skin is broken.

⑫ Medical personnel should avoid being contaminated by patients' blood samples and take precautions against skin injuries from scalpels, needles, and other instruments when serving patients.

⑬ Do not engage in fights, as bleeding during a fight can also lead to the transmission and infection of HIV.

3. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission

Women infected with AIDS should avoid pregnancy, and those who are already pregnant should terminate the pregnancy.