Protecting yourself from HIV can be as simple as ABC.

Because casual sexual transmission is the number one cause of HIV/AIDS, avoid having casual sex. Be very careful when you have been drinking alcohol, as you may not be able to think clearly and take unnecessary risks.  
 

Once you have committed yourself to your life-long spouse/partner, remain faithful to him/her. If both uninfected partners remain faithful to each other, you are well-protected.
 

If you do have casual sex, using condoms consistently (during each and every sexual contact) and effectively (refer to the instructions printed on the package) can help to reduce your risk of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Although it does not offer 100% protection, condom use is the best protection against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections during casual sexual intercourse.     

Remember, when you have sex with someone, you are indirectly having sex with ALL his or her previous sexual partners.

For more information on how to use a condom properly, click here.  

The Ministry of Health has four key messages to communicate to the public on the risks of HIV/AIDS:

1. Have only one sex partner, and be faithful to that person.
   Being in a faithful, mutually monogamous relationship is one of the safe ways to avoid getting HIV infection or any other sexually transmitted disease. The more the number of sex partners, the greater the risk of catching AIDS.
   
   
2. Practise safe sex. If a person is having casual sex, use a condom.
   Condoms do not provide 100% protection, but they do provide significant protection if used consistently and correctly.
   
   
3. If a person has multiple sex partners, and is not using a condom, there is a high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Go for frequent HIV screening.
   AIDS is a fatal disease. Would you want your loved ones to get infected as well?
   
   
4. If a person is HIV positive, it is a criminal offence not to inform his or her sex partner about it.
   Under the Infectious Diseases Act, if you know you have HIV/AIDS and infect your partner without his/her knowledge, you may be fined up to $50,000 or jailed for up to 10 years, or both.
   
   If you are not sure of your HIV status but have reason to believe that you have, or have been exposed to a significant risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, you must take reasonable precautions to protect your sexual partner, such as by using condoms. You can also go for a HIV test to confirm that you are HIV-negative. Otherwise, you must inform your partner of the risk of contracting HIV from you, leaving the partner to voluntarily accept the risk, if he or she so wishes. The penalty for not doing so is a fine of up to $50,000 or a jail term for up to 10 years, or both.
   

Besides sexual intercourse, HIV also spreads through other ways:

01
From an infected mother
to her baby during pregnancy,
childbirth and sometimes
breastfeeding.
 

Go for a pre-natal HIV screening if you are
pregnant. Presently, all pregnant women
are required to do this unless they opt out of it.

02
Contact with infected blood,
e.g. using instruments contaminated
with someone else's blood

If you are going to have your ears pierced, eyebrows tattooed, or receiving acupuncture, choose a reliable operator who uses disposable
or sterile equipment.

HIV infection through blood transfusion rarely happens in Singapore as all donated blood is screened for HIV before use since 1985.
However, if you need medical treatment while overseas, take care to arrange with the local
hospital to use only screened blood