AIDS/HIV Health Education - Information for HIV Infected Persons

Information for HIV infected persons

• Almost all persons will remain infected for life and will develop the disease.
• Asymptomatic patients may also transmit HIV to others.
• Infected person should not donate blood, plasma, body organs, other tissues, and sperm.
• Infection of spreading to others occurs by sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal), by oral genital contact or by sharing needles.
• The use of condom by infected person can reduce transmission of the virus, though prevention is not absolute
• Toothbrushes, razors, and other items that could become contaminated with blood should not be shared.
• Seropositive women are at increased risk of acquiring AIDS, and if they become pregnant their offspring are at high risk of acquiring AIDS.

• After accidents that result in bleeding, contaminated surfaces should be cleaned with household bleach freshly diluted 1:10 in water.
• Devices that have punctured the skin, eg, hypodermic and acupuncture needles, should be steam-sterilized by autoclaving before reuse or should be safely discarded.
• Infected person should inform to medical or dental care providers that they are seropositive, so that appropriate precautions taken to prevent transmission to others.
• Seropositive health care professionals who perform invasive procedures or have skin lesions should take precautions to protect patients from the risk of infection.
• Children with positive tests should be allowed to attend school, since casual person-to-person contact of school children poses no risk. But a restricted environment is advisable for children who lack control of their body secretions, has biting behavior, having oozing lesions.
• Dental instruments should be heat sterilized between patients. Whenever possible, disposable needles and equipments should be used.