Sex and prevention concerns
for positive people
September 2002 View PDF En
español
You can prevent common infections at home!
Bartonella (Cat Scratch Fever)
A bacterial infection that can cause fevers, headaches and a marked
reduction in red blood cells (anemia).
Put on the flea collar!
- Avoid adopting kittens or cats under one year old.
- Avoid cat scratches or allowing cats to lick open cuts or wounds.
- Promptly wash all cat scratches or wounds.
- Use flea control for cats.
Campylobacter
A bacterial infection that can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain and
vomiting.
When Fluffy has the runs, run!
- Avoid contact with animals that have diarrhea.
- In general, get someone else to handle potty duties for pets.
Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever)
A fungal infection that causes fevers, difficulty in breathing and
night sweats.
On your next archeological dig, bring Endust!
- Although there are areas of the country such as the deserts of
the Southwest where it may be impossible to avoid exposure to this
pest, you can still reduce the risk of exposure by avoiding excavation
sites and dust storms.
- For more information, read the publication, Valley
Fever.
Cryptococcosis
A fungal infection that primarily infects the brain resulting in
headaches, fevers and altered mental behavior.
Don’t feed the birds!
- Avoid areas that may be heavily contaminated with the pest that
causes the infection (called cryptococcus), including areas with
a lot of pigeon droppings. Avoid handling birds, even those kept
as pets.
Cryptosporidiosis
A parasite that can cause diarrhea.
Put down the baby, and move away from the goat!
- Wash hands after fecal contact (like after changing a baby’s
diaper) and after gardening or other contact with soil.
- Avoid contact with young farm animals or animals with diarrhea (including
pet stores and animal shelters).
- Wash hands after handling pets and avoid contact with pet feces.
- Boil water for at least one minute. If possible, install a water
filter system that can filter out cryptosporidium.
- Avoid swimming in water that may be contaminated by cryptosporidia.
Some lakes, rivers, swimming pools and salt water beaches may be
contaminated with human or animal waste that contains cryptosporidia.
- For more information on preventing infection with crypto, call Project
Inform’s Hotline.
- For more information, read the publication, Cryptosporidiosis.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
A virus that infects the entire body. (Left untreated, CMV can cause
diarrhea, blindness, inflammation of the brain, etc.)
Safer Sex is Hot Sex (and it’s not just about HIV infection!)
- Wash hands after fecal contact.
- Follow safer sex practices.
- If blood transfusions are required, only CMV antibody negative or
leukocyte-reduced blood products should be used.
- For more information, read Project Inform's publication, Cytomegalovirus.
Hepatitis A, B and C Virus (HAV, HBV and HCV)
Viral infections that can cause liver damage, failure and sometimes
cancer.
- Talk to your doctor about the appropriateness of vaccination (for
HAV and HBV).
- Follow safer sex practices.
- Learn about particular risks for HAV and traveling in areas where
threat for exposure is great and vaccination prior to travel highly
recommended.
- For more information, read Project Inform's publications, Hepatitis
A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis
C.
Herpes
A viral infection that can cause ulcer lesions around the mouth,
genitals and rectum.
Histoplasmosis
A fungal infection that can cause fevers, reduction in red blood
cells and difficulty in breathing.
Put down the mop and move away from the chicken coop!
- Although it may be impossible to avoid exposure to this organism
in areas of the country like the Midwest river valleys, people can
still reduce their risk by not cleaning chicken coops, disturbing
soil under bird roosting sites or exploring caves.
- For more information, read the publication, Histoplasmosis.
Human papillomavirus
A viral infection that can cause warts, which can become cancerous.
- Follow safer sex practices. Condoms cannot wholly prevent HPV transmission.
Listeriosis
A bacterial infection that can cause meningitis, an inflammation
in the brain.
- Avoid eating any non-pasteurized dairy products, such as soft cheeses
like Brie and goat cheese.
- Heat ready-to-eat foods like hot dogs and ensure that they’re
steaming hot before eating them.
Microsporidiosis
A parasite that can cause diarrhea.
- Wash hands frequently and follow other good personal hygiene measures.
Salmonella
A bacterial infection that can cause food poisoning and diarrhea.
- Avoid Caesar salads or anything that may contain raw eggs.
- Avoid eating under-cooked eggs and poultry.
- Avoid contact with animals that have diarrhea.
- Avoid contact with reptiles like snakes, lizards, iguanas and turtles.
Toxoplasmosis
A parasite that mostly infects the brain resulting in confusion
and delusional behavior.
These recommendations only apply to people who are NOT antibody
positive to toxoplasma.
- Avoid eating raw or under-cooked meats. (Cook to an internal temperature
of 150°F or 65.5°C.)
- Wash hands after contact with raw meat and after gardening or other
contact with soil.
- Wash fruits and vegetables in filtered water or in a 0.05% bleach
solution before eating raw.
- Wash hands after changing a cat’s litter box or preferably
have an HIV-negative person change it.
- Cats should be kept indoors and be fed canned or dried commercial
cat food and not raw or undercooked meats.
- For more information, read the publication, Toxoplasmosis.
Tuberculosis
Primarily infects the lungs and can cause cough, weight loss and
fatigue.
- If possible, avoid working or volunteering in facilities considered
high risk for tuberculosis, such as healthcare and correctional
facilities and homeless shelters.
- For more information, read Project Inform's publication, Tuberculosis
and HIV Disease.
Varicella-Zoster
A viral infection commonly known as chicken pox and shingles.
- People who have NOT had chicken pox or shingles should avoid direct
contact with people with active chicken pox or shingles.
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