Why can't you

HIV is an infectious disease that attacks the immune system. HIV can drastically lower your immune system, allowing diseases, bacteria, viruses, and other infections to invade your body. HIV is transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen, and vaginal fluids from an infected person.

Generally, a person will be more at risk of contracting HIV if they frequently change partners. Why so? Check out the explanation in this article.

The risk of HIV transmission is higher if you are multiple partners

The risk of contracting HIV will be greater if you have sex with multiple partners. This happens because you do not know whether your sex partner has been infected with HIV or not.

This is because in many cases, someone who is infected with HIV in the early phase does not cause significant symptoms. In fact, someone who is infected with HIV does not develop symptoms of the disease several years after being infected.

Basically, anyone who has sex with someone who has multiple partners has the potential to transmit a disease that was acquired from a previous sexual partner. So, the more often you change partners, the more likely you are to get HIV. Not only HIV, you will also be at increased risk of other sexually transmitted diseases that are more dangerous.

Other things that put you at risk of contracting HIV

In addition to frequently changing partners, you will also be more at risk of getting HIV if:

• Infected blood, breast milk, semen, or vaginal fluids, and breast milk come in direct contact with sores on the skin or open mucous membranes (for example, the mouth, nose, vagina, rectum, and foreskin of the penis).
• Sex without a condom. The main spread of the virus is through vaginal, anal, and unprotected oral sex. In general, oral sex has a low chance of transmitting HIV. Still, there are several factors that can increase this risk. One of them is having oral sex when you have an oral infection.
• Sharing needles and other injecting drug equipment that have been contaminated with HIV. Because the HIV virus can live in used syringes for up to 42 days depending on temperature and other factors.
• Mothers who are infected with HIV pass the virus to their babies before / during delivery as well as while breastfeeding.
• Tattoo equipment and body piercing (including ink) that has been infected and not properly sterilized.
• Receive blood transfusions and organ / tissue transplants from people infected with HIV.
• Wear sex toys (sex toys) which has been contaminated.
• Having other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. Sexually transmitted diseases can weaken your body's natural protections, which can increase your risk of contracting HIV if you catch the virus.

However, HIV will not spread through:

• Touch
• Shake hands
• Hugging or kissing
• Various bed linen and towels
• Various cutlery and toiletries
• Use the same swimming pool or toilet seat
• Animal, mosquito, or other insect bites

How to prevent HIV transmission

The only effective way to prevent HIV transmission is to avoid everything that can increase your risk of contracting HIV. This can be done by:

• Practice safe sex. If you do not know the HIV status of your sex partner, always use a condom when having sexual intercourse. Condoms are the most effective form of protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. It is important that you wear a condom before having any sexual contact involving the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus.
• Selectively choose a sex partner. Make sure if your partner is not infected with HIV before sexual intercourse. If necessary, ask your partner to do a screening test to confirm his condition. Also ask your partner's sexual history, starting from the number of sexual partners and the type of security he uses. What must be remembered, a person can be exposed to sexually transmitted diseases without knowing it.
• Don't share needles. Needles and needles can increase your risk of getting infected with HIV and other viruses that are in your blood, such as hepatitis C. If you want to get a tattoo or piercing, make sure you do it in a safe professional place. Don't forget, make sure that the needle used is sterile.
• Avoid direct contact with other people's blood or body fluids. You never know who has HIV, because in most cases, sufferers don't know if they have been infected. That is why, avoid touching other people's blood whenever possible, and also avoid contact with other bodily fluids that can spread HIV.
• Seek medical treatment immediately if you become pregnant. If you become pregnant and are concerned that you may have HIV, get tested and seek medical help immediately. It is possible to prevent the spread of HIV to your child.

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