Teaching the importance of abstention or safe sex practices is essential to stopping the spread of AIDS among teenagers and adults. The most effective means of preventing infection in newborns is for HIV-infected women to avoid pregnancy. Some research shows that delivery by cesarean section may reduce the baby's risk of acquiring HIV infection, but this isn't standard practice. One of the most significant advances in HIV research is the prevention, in many cases, of HIV transmission from mothers to babies by using anti-HIV drugs. Zidovudine is given to the newborn for 6 weeks.
More research is under way to see if other drugs can lower the transmission rate even further.
Therefore, all pregnant women should strongly consider being tested for HIV infection early in pregnancy, so that zidovudine therapy can be given in time if needed. Although the risk of acquiring HIV infection through breast milk is relatively low, HIV-infected mothers should avoid breastfeeding, especially in the United States, where good infant formulas and clean water are readily available. In countries where the risks of malnutrition or infectious diarrhea from unclean water are high, the benefits of breastfeeding more than outweigh any additional risk of HIV transmission. Since a child's HIV status may not be known, all schools and day care centers should adopt special procedures for handling accidents, such as nosebleeds, and for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces contaminated with blood. During cleanup, personnel are advised to avoid having their skin come in contact with blood.