There are several decisions you have to make in order
to be sure that you are doing what you can to:
-
prevent the spread of HIV
-
prevent the progression of your HIV disease to AIDS
-
avoid getting sick or perhaps even dying
If you are engaging in high-risk behaviors, the first decision
you need to make is to stop engaging in these behaviors, as they may endanger
others and cause them to become infected. This means that you must not
have unprotected sex (a condom or dental dam are required at all times
to prevent direct contact) and, if you use intravenous drugs, you must
not share needles with other people. The people with whom you have had
sex or shared needles in the past may or may not already be infected. You
should consider informing them yourself of their exposure to HIV, but if
you are unable to do so, you should contact your doctor or the health department
so that the people with whom you have had sex or shared needles can be
informed anonymously and then get tested. If you have children, they may
also need to be tested, but you can discuss this with your doctor as well.
Choosing
a Healthcare Provider
