Are you wondering what you can do?

Know clearly what the danger is

Build your own clear understanding of HIV, what it does to the body, the danger it poses and how it leads to AIDS (without the lifelong use of ARV medication).

Be aware of different strategies men can adopt to avoid HIV.

Here are some decisions you could take:

• Become informed about sex and bodies, and talk through questions and uncertainties.
• Don’t have sex at all – no sex, no risk.
• Only ever have sex with one life partner (who has taken the same decision and has tested HIV-negative) – and stick to that decision.
• Delay becoming sexually active until you are more confident to take decisions.
• Avoid penetrative sex and do other things for intimacy or pleasure.
• Be clear and confident about condoms, the protection they provide and their correct use, and only have protected penetrative sex.
• Get circumcised. This decreases but does not eliminate your chance of being infected with the virus; it does not stop you infecting a partner with HIV.
• Be aware that unprotected sex between regular, concurrent partners increases chances of HIV transmission if one person acquires the virus.

If you have had unprotected sex (penetrative vaginal or anal sex without a condom), always use a condom with any and all partners, including your spouse or regular partner, until you have been tested for HIV. If you’ve taken a risk, go for the test. If you have contracted HIV, the sooner the clinic can keep track of your health status, the higher the chance that you can get the ARVs when your body needs them – which can help you live healthily and stay well.

Understand the realities, possibilities and challenges of people living with HIV, or who have developed AIDS. Love and caring go a long way.

Myths, misinformation and fear have led many to stigmatise those with HIV or discriminate against them. With education these attitudes are changing. You can be part of that change.

How can each of us learn to see our own stereotypes, prejudices, uncertainties and fears – and do something to change these, so they don’t hurt or damage others?

Become part of the information chain – break the silence about sexual safety, HIV and condoms.

Talk to family, friends, people in your faith groups, teachers and students, café and bar owners… People need to talk and discuss the issues to help strengthen their own behaviour decisions. Abstract messaging isn’t enough; ideas need to take root in people’s lives and hearts.

Find out about local initiatives promoting HIV awareness and the gender issues that need to be part of this. Check out the websites listed under Resources. Explore the Sonke website.

The AIDS commission of your country will have a list of organisations working on HIV issues. Get involved!

Join larger national or international networks. Find them online and participate in activities with their local partners.

Find ways of bringing resources about HIV and AIDS into local contexts to stimulate discussion.

Mobilise and lobby for local condom supplies, availability and accessibility.

This is really important. Don’t take condom availability for granted. Organise with others to ensure that condom supplies remain available at low cost or free, and that information is in circulation. Make sure men and boys you know are aware of how and where to get hold of them.