ABOUT PROTECTING YOURSELF

There are a variety of ways to protect and eliminate or reduce the risk of exposure to HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. They are:

• Abstinence – not having sex
• Practicing Safer Sex – using condoms or other latex barriers (e.g, dental dams, plastic food wrap, latex gloves, etc.)
• Not sharing sex toys
• Not sharing needles or equipment for injecting drugs such as spoons, saucers, rigs, etc. that greatly increase the risk of contracting HIV.

Protecting yourself against HIV can also mean protecting against unwanted pregnancy or in some cases, against transmitted infection (e.g., gonorrhoea, etc.).