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As of this moment, there are no known vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for AIDS. But it’s possible to protect yourself and others from infection. That means educating yourself about HIV and avoiding any behavior that allows HIV-infected fluids — blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk — into your body.

If you are HIV-negative, the following precaution measures can help keep you from being infected with HIV:

• Educate yourself and others. Make sure you understand what HIV is and how the virus is transmitted.
• Know the HIV status of any sexual partner. Don’t engage in unprotected sex.
• Use a new latex or polyurethane condom every time you have sex. If you don’t know the HIV status of your partner, use a new latex condom every time you have a sexual intercourse.
• Consider male circumcision. A large study in 2006 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed that medically performed circumcision significantly reduced a man’s risk of acquiring HIV through heterosexual intercourse. The study, conducted in Kenya, showed a 53 percent reduction of HIV infection in circumcised HIV-negative men compared with uncircumcised men in the study. The outcome was heralded by the NIH as good news not only because it reduced the number of HIV-infected men, but also because it could lead to fewer infections among women in areas of the world where HIV is spread primarily through heterosexual intercourse.
• Use a clean needle. If you use a needle to inject drugs, make sure it’s sterile, and don’t share it. Take advantage of needle exchange programs in your community and consider seeking help for your drug use.
• Be cautious about blood products in certain countries. Although the blood supply in the United States is now well screened, this isn’t always the case in other countries. If an emergency requires that you receive blood or blood products in another country, get tested for HIV as soon as you return home.
• Get regular screening tests. If you are a woman, have a yearly Pap test. And if you’re a man or woman who has had sex with one or more new partners, be tested annually. Men and women who engage in anal sex should also have regular tests for anal cancer.