Avoid having sex if you are suffering from a sexually transmitted infection. Not only will you pass the infection to your partner, you are more likely to become infected by HIV.

If you are not sure of your HIV status, avoid having sex until you have had a blood test to confirm that you are not infected.

However, a negative test means that you are either not infected or your infection was too recent to be detected. You need to repeat the test 3 months later.

If you think that you may have been exposed to HIV, do not breastfeed, do not donate blood, semen or organs. Go to your doctor or to the nearest polyclinic for an HIV test.

It is also important to know HIV/AIDS is not spread. This protects you from unfounded fears and undue stress and helps to reduce social discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS.

You cannot get HIV/AIDS through:

• ordinary social contact like shaking hands, kissing on the cheeks
   

• sharing cups, plates and eating utensils
   

• using the same toilet seats, shower rooms or swimming pools
   

• coughs or sneezes
   

• mosquitoes and other biting insects