HIV Negative Women
Positive Outcomes for Women Engaged in Reproductive Health
Information to empower you to make informed decisions about sex, relationships, and family planning. Information on HIV prevention and safer conception methods for women. For more information on HIV prevention for women, please visit hiveonline.org/prevention4women.
To read real life stories, visit the HIVE Blog.
Informational Brochures in English
Thinking About Having a Baby? for HIV- Women with Male Partners Who are Living With HIV
Preventing HIV and Pregnancy for HIV- Women Partnered with Men Living with HIV ?
Is PrEP Right for Me? A Guide for Cis* Women
Preventing HIV During Pregnancy/Breastfeeding: Using PrEP and/or PEP
Folletos Informativos en Espa?ol
La PPrE durante el Embarazo y/o la Lactancia
Our brochures are currently unavailable on our website. Please message Cynthia Gutierrez at cynthia.gutierrez@ucsf.edu if you need a copy of a brochure.
Information for you
How do people get HIV?
Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick Talks about How HIV is Transmitted
How is HIV Transmitted?
HIV is transmitted, or spread, through contact with these body fluids:
- Blood (including blood from your period and any blood in saliva, urine, and feces).
- Semen (“cum”) and other sexual fluids from the penis (“pre-cum”).
- Vaginal fluids.
- Breast milk.
HIV is not spread through:
- Sweat
- Tears
- Saliva (spit)
- Feces (poop)
- Urine (pee)
HIV can be transmitted during:
- Pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding (called perinatal or vertical transmission).
- Sex
- Re-using or sharing needles or other works/equipment for injecting drugs, tattoos, or other substances.
HIV is not spread by:
- Hugging
- Holding hands
- Kissing
- Drinking or eating from the same cups or utensils as a person living with HIV
- Using a toilet also used by someone living with HIV
For more on HIV transmission:
- The Well Project: http://www.thewellproject.org/hiv-information/hiv-transmission
- Medline Plus: https://medlineplus.gov/hivaidsinwomen.html
Preventing HIV
HIV is more preventable than ever. You may already know about HIV prevention options such as male (external) and female (internal) condoms, and testing. Let?s talk about a few more: PrEP, PEP, and U=U.
? U=U is when a person living with HIV takes medications to keep the virus at very low levels (called an undetectable viral load). Many large studies show that people who have an undetectable viral load have no risk of passing HIV through sex. U=U is short for ?undetectable = untransmittable.?
For more on U=U, check out this video:
What is U=U?
? PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a daily pill to help keep you HIV-negative. When taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective. PrEP is safe and generally well tolerated. Most insurance plans (public and private) cover PrEP.
For more on PrEP, check out this video:
What is the PrEP Pill?
? PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, is a combination of medications you can take after a possible exposure to HIV. PEP is most effective the sooner it?s started, and must be started within 72 hours of the exposure. PEP is taken daily for 28?30 days
These strategies work for people of all genders, sexual orientations, ages, and people who inject drugs.
For more on PEP, check out this video:
What is Post Exposure Prophylaxis (Also Known As PEP)?
You can use these HIV-prevention strategies alone or in combination to reduce your risk of getting HIV. Take charge of your sexual health!
For more information on preventing HIV, check out: https://hiveonline.org/prevention4women/
Preventing Pregnancy
As a woman, you have the right to decide if, when, and how to have children.
There are many birth control options available to you, depending on when and if you want to have a baby. Your doctor can support you in finding the best option for you.
For more on each method of contraception, visit: https://www.bedsider.org/methods
Check out this brochure to learn more.
Having a baby if your partner is living with HIV
Advances in HIV treatment and prevention make starting a family an exciting and safe option for couples affected by HIV. There are several safer conception options available to you.
To learn more, check out:
- Thinking about having a baby brochure
- Pietro Vernazza explains safer conception options for serodifferent couples video
- Is there any way the baby will catch the virus? video
- We’ve been seeing if we’re ready, are there any risks involved? video
Want to learn about real life stories? Read our blogs on safer conception: https://www.hiveonline.org/safer-conception/.
En Espa?ol
Mujeres, PrEP, y salud sexual
“Entre Amigas:Nos PrEP’aramos” con Alicia Machado, Monica y Ingrid
- El VIH y las mujeres de infoSIDA/Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- VIH y el sida en mujeres de Medline Plus: Informaci?n de salud para usted
- La transmisi?n del VIH de The Well Project
- Folleto informativo Sobre PrEP de Project Inform: Una nueva opcio?n para que las mujeres amen de manera ma?s segura
- ?Es la PrEP adecuada para mi? de HIVE
- Dr. Pollock y Carolina de HIVE
- Mujeres, PrEP y salud sexual de Project Inform
- PrEP Para Mujeres de The Well Project
- Indetectable es igual a intransmisible: infundir esperanza y eliminar el estigma de The Well Project
- Indetectable = Intransmisible (I=I) ?Para usted! de PleasePrEPMe.org
- I=I para Defensores de PleasePrEPMe.org
Have questions or suggestions for this page? Let us know. We do consultations over email as well as via social media.
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