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Harbor Health > Programs and Services > HIV Services > HIV Prevention

HIV Prevention

Prevention = Protection

Call (617) 533-2228 to talk with a prevention specialist

There are many ways you can protect yourself and your partners from HIV.

  1. Get tested. Knowing your HIV status gives you the power! You can make choices and take steps to stay healthy.
  2. Use condoms. Condoms are very good at preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
  3. Take PrEP. Pre-exposure prophylaxis or “PrEP” is a medication you can take that reduces the risk of getting HIV.
  4. Never share needles and syringes. Used needles, syringes, and other drug injection equipment may have someone’s blood on them, and blood can carry HIV.

Harbor Health’s Prevention Services team offers a safe and private way for you to learn if you are vulnerable to HIV and how to protect yourself. Our services are free and confidential and open to everyone in the community.

We can also connect you to HIV rapid testing, safer sex supplies, PrEP navigation, and other prevention resources in your community.

What Can You Do To Prevent HIV? Get The Facts!

There is something we can all do to prevent HIV. The more you learn about HIV, the more you know about how to protect yourself and your partners.

Did you know that HIV:

  • Attacks the immune system.
  • Increases the risks of infection and disease.
  • Increases risk of cancer.
  • Can develop into AIDS.
  • Infects over 30,000 people in the US each year.

HIV is a serious virus. If not treated, HIV can progress into AIDS, which kills thousands of Americans every year. There are treatments for people living with HIV to manage the virus. These treatments help people with HIV live longer and protect their partners.

There are factors that can make people vulnerable to HIV. 

These factors include:

  • Men who have sex with men
  • People with more than one sexual partner
  • Transgender people who have sex with men
  • People who recently had an STI
  • People who inject drugs

Even if you do not think these factors apply to you, you can still get exposed to HIV.

Always talk with a healthcare professional as soon as possible if you think you have been exposed to HIV. Post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP is a medication that can prevent HIV when taken within 72 hours of a potential exposure.

Unsure of your chances of getting HIV? Click here to learn more 

Most people who get HIV get it through anal or vaginal sex, or sharing drug injection equipment such as needles and syringes. About 1 in 7 people in the United States have HIV and do not know it.

Steps everyone can take to protect themselves from HIV include:

  • Talking with sexual partners about their HIV status.
  • Asking sexual partners about getting tested before having sex.
  • Always using condoms during sex. “Always” means every time, not most or some of the time.

Have More Questions About HIV Prevention?

If you have questions about HIV prevention, please call Harbor Health’s prevention team at (617) 533-2228.

Remember – there is something we can all do to prevent HIV!