Prevention strategies are tools that an individual uses to prevent the acquisition and transmission of HIV. From traditional prevention options like abstinence and condoms, to new biomedical strategies like pre and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP and PrEP) and treatment as prevention, there have never been more ways to protect yourself and your partners.
Any activity that exposes you to another person’s semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, rectal fluid, or blood could put you at risk for HIV. There are also some behaviors that put you at increased risk. These include:
In Iowa, some populations also experience higher rates of HIV, which means that members of these groups are more likely to be exposed to HIV. These populations include:
Anyone can get HIV, but there are more tools today to prevent HIV than ever before.
Talking to your partner(s) about HIV testing and getting tested before sex are great first steps in understanding your risk. To better understand your own potential risk for HIV, talk to your doctor or use this interactive tool from the CDC.
When you are ready to get tested for HIV, use this locator to find testing, counseling, and other HIV prevention services across Iowa.
Sex is the primary way that HIV passes from person to person. Condoms and/or medications can reduce this risk. If you are not taking PrEP regularly or do not have a condom available, you may want to discuss other types of sex with your partner(s).
While abstaining from sex and/or limiting the number of your partners greatly reduces your potential for acquiring HIV, there are several tools you can use as part of your HIV prevention strategy.
In the Living with HIV section, you can learn more about how people living with HIV (PLHIV) are using medications to manage their health and treat their HIV. Many PLWH who take their medications as prescribed are able to achieve viral suppression, meaning that they have no detectable HIV in their blood. When there is no detectable HIV viral load in your body you have no risk of sexually transmitting the virus. This is commonly known as Undetectable = untransmittable or U=U. For more information check out this fact sheet developed by the Centers for Disease Control.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are medications that can be taken in advance (orally or injected) to protect someone from acquiring HIV from sex or needle sharing. If taken consistently and as prescribed by your provider, PrEP can reduce your risk of acquiring HIV by over 90%. You can find more information on accessing PrEP in Iowa at PrEP Iowa.
If you have a recent potential exposure to HIV, a doctor can prescribe medications to reduce your chances of acquiring HIV. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP or nPEP) must be started within 72 hours of a potential exposure (and is more effective the earlier it is started).
If you need PEP/nPEP contact your doctor, visit your nearest emergency room, or reach out the Iowa PrEP/PEP navigator for assistance.
Some forms of substance use can increase your risk related to HIV. Persons who use or inject drugs can reduce their risk by not sharing or re-using substance use equipment.
Read more here at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In this section, we will explore how substance use may present opportunities for HIV transmission and highlight resources available for people who use or inject drugs.
Using some drugs can cause you to do things that may increase your likelihood of acquiring or transmitting HIV. Some drugs like alcohol, methamphetamine, poppers, and ecstasy may reduce inhibitions around safer sex and other HIV prevention strategies.
Some people use meth to last longer while having sex, which may result in the need to use multiple condoms in a session. This requires extra attention to be paid to the quality of prevention materials, which may be a challenge in the heat of the moment. Additionally, drugs like alcohol may also affect your judgement or reduce your inhibitions enough that you forget to use a condom or discuss HIV status with your partner(s). If you are going to a party or another place where you know you may use substances, you can prepare by bringing a condom/condoms with you to increase the likelihood that you will use them.
If you are concerned about your substance use and looking for resources in Iowa, please visit Your Life Iowa for more information and support.
People who inject drugs (PWID) are at increased risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV and hepatitis B and C if they share needles, equipment, or works used to prepare drugs (cotton, cookers, water) as these may contain blood from another person living with undiagnosed or untreated HIV.
Currently, syringe service programs are not allowed in Iowa per Iowa Code § 124.414 which prevents distribution of hypodermic syringes and needles for unlawful purposes. While services providing syringe exchange are not currently allowed under Iowa law, PWID may have luck in accessing sterile equipment through a local pharmacy* or through community based harm reduction organizations.
*Pharmacies in the state of Iowa do not require a prescription to purchase new syringes or needles. However, some pharmacists may choose not to sell syringes to individuals do not have a prescription for medications that require intravenous administration.
