Prevention and education
Emphasis on means of protection, such as condoms, PrEP and PEP.
While condoms are still the most effective means of protection, regular screening and the various treatments that are available also play a key role in preventing the transmission of HIV and STIs.
Condoms: to protect against HIV and STIs
Condoms (external and internal) are the most easily accessible and effective means of protecting yourself and your partner(s) against HIV, STIs and unwanted pregnancies.
Where can you get Safer Sex materials (internal condoms, female condoms and dental dams) near you?
What is 'combined prevention'?
Each person's sexual practices and needs are unique. This is why combined prevention, tailored to your lifestyle and choices, offers a comprehensive toolbox for protecting your health.
Combined prevention is an approach that combines several HIV and STI prevention strategies, depending on your personal circumstances, practices and lifestyle. Combined prevention is based on three strategies:
- Use of condoms: condoms (internal and external) provide effective protection against HIV and most STIs.
- Screening: screening is the only way of finding out whether or not you have been infected with the HIV virus. With early screening, treatment can begin quickly, thereby prolonging life expectancy and improving quality of life.
- Treatment as Prevention against HIV: this is a multi-faceted approach based on the use of antiretroviral drugs:
- PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis): this preventive treatment is recommended for HIV-seronegative people with a high and regular risk of exposure to HIV infection. Hover, PrEP does not protect against other STIs.
- PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis): this emergency treatment should be started as soon as possible – ideally within the first few hours following a high-risk exposure, and within 72 hours at the latest – to prevent infection by the HIV virus.
- An HIV-positive person whose viral load has been undetectable for at least six months following treatment can no longer transmit the HIV virus during sex. This principle – known as U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) – is reassuring for HIV-positive individuals, as it means they cannot transmit the virus. HIV 'Treatment As Prevention' (TASP) is an effective preventive measure.
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