What are some risk factors and precautions one should take to avoid contracting HIV?

Answer 1

There are many risk factors for HIV depending on how medically or "unmedically" you want to look at it. All from genotypes, geographic location, lifestyle, work site risk, rape, etc. Here are the major high risk routes.

unprotected sex

IV drug use with shared needles

exposure to contaminated blood, blood products, or body fluids

infected pregnant women who are untreated (highest risk is at time of birth, otherwise it is very low and would most likely come from a problematic placental attachment or detachment that can cause bleeding within the uterus or placenta).

Answer 2

The most basic precaution is safe sex. Unless you are married and you know that your spouse has been tested for HIV and is not infected and is not having extra-marital sex, you should consider any person with whom you have sex to be a possible source of HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, and take the necessary precautions, using a condom. People who have HIV do not necessarily know it, and may show no symptoms for a long time - HIV can have a very long incubation period. And even a person who does know that he has HIV might still lie about it. Don't take chances. Only an actual blood test counts, and even then, it is possible to contract HIV the day after your blood test.

If you are an intravenous drug user (which is to say, you like to shoot up) never share needles, since a needle can also transmit HIV if it has not been properly sterilized (if you do want to re-use needles, sterilize them in boiling water).

Be careful in handling blood in general, if you should happen to come into contact with someone who is bleeding for any reason.

Answer 3

Sharing needles in IV drug abuse and frequently changing sex partners.

Answer 4

Unprotected sex with multiple partners and intravenous drug use are still the most likely ways to contract HIV.