How can we prevent Aids? (English + Chinese) (10)

只要你感染了愛滋病病毒（人類免疫力缺乏病毒），便有機會引發愛滋病。愛滋病病毒是透過已受感染者的血液、精液及陰道分泌物，從以下的途徑傳染給其他人。
不安全性行為
無論是男或女，沒有使用安全套的陰道交及肛交，都是最常見的愛滋病病毒傳播途徑；相比之下，口交的風險則較低。
共用針筒
透過吸毒時與別人共用針筒，愛滋病病毒能直接經血液進入你體內。
母嬰傳播
受感染的母親有機會於懷孕、生產或餵哺母乳期間將病毒傳播給嬰兒。
輸血
自一九八五年開始，所有在香港進行的捐血樣本均經過測試，故此，在香港捐血或接受輸血均屬安全。相反，在沒有血液樣本測試的國家進行輸血則較為危險。

在什麼情況下不會感染愛滋病？
接吻、蚊咬、身體表面接觸、握手、擁抱、咳嗽、噴嚏、口水、杯碗、筷子、食物、飲料、坐廁、泳池、電話或錢幣均不會傳播愛滋病病毒。

能完全避免受到感染嗎？
如果不進行性行為、不共用針筒、不在沒有為血液供應進行測試的國家接受緊急輸血，就能完全避免受感染的危機。只是，很多人都難免在生命中進行性行為，也有些人需要依靠吸毒。所以我們做的就是盡量在過程中減低受愛滋病病毒感染的機會，而不是完全避免這些行為。


How is HIV transmitted?
You cannot get AIDS unless you are infected with the virus HIV. HIV is transmitted when blood, semen or vaginal secretions are passed from an infected person into the body of another person. This happens in the following ways:
SEX
Vaginal and anal sex without a condom are the most common way of transmitting HIV for both men and women. Oral sex can also be risky but not to the same degree.
SHARING NEEDLES:
Sharing needles and syringes during intravenous drug use can inject HIV directly into your bloodstream.
MOTHER TO BABY:
Babies can acquire HIV from their mother during pregnancy, birth or through breast-feeding.
BLOOD TRANSFUSION:
Since 1985, all blood donations in Hong Kong have been screened. Giving or receiving blood in Hong Kong is safe. Receiving blood in countries where the blood supply is not properly screened is not safe.


Under what circumstances is HIV not transmitted?
You cannot get HIV from kissing, mosquito bites, touching, shaking hands, hugging, coughs or sneezes, saliva, cups, bowls, chopsticks, food and drinks, toilet seats, swimming pools, telephones or money.


Is there a 100% safe way to prevent infection?
If you decide never to have sex, never to share a needle and make sure you avoid requiring an emergency blood transfusion in a country which doesn't screen its blood supply, you are unlikely ever to be infected with HIV. Unfortunately, most individuals, at some point in their lives will be sexually active. Some individuals become dependent on drugs. Often, the best that we can do is to reduce our risk of HIV infection rather than remove it altogether.


What are the symptoms of AIDS?
You can have HIV for many years before it damages your immune system enough for you to start getting sick. During this period (which could be ten years or more) there will be no visible symptoms. Early symptoms that the immune system is deteriorating include persistent diarrhea, persistent dry cough, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, and persistent swollen glands. These symptoms are all extremely common and do not mean that a person definitely has AIDS or HIV. In the later stages of HIV infection a person is vulnerable to all sorts of infections affecting the skin, the lungs, the eyes, the gut and even the brain.

How do I know if I am infected?
The only way to know if you're infected is to get tested. But remember, the test does not test for AIDS, it tests for HIV antibodies. It can take your body up to three months after infection with HIV to produce a detectable quantity of HIV antibodies. So you should wait for three months from the time you think you might have been exposed before taking the test. A test result within three months after a risky experience will not be reliable.