Title: Strategies to prevent HIV transmission from contaminated blood
Course: Communicable Diseases Part 3 - Ethiopia (Full)

Strategies to prevent HIV transmission from contaminated blood

Prevention measures in the community may also be aimed at reducing personal contact with the blood of an HIV-infected person, and/or with objects contaminated with their blood. These may include avoiding the shared use of objects such as a toothbrush and/or sharps (blades, needles, etc.), either in households or in traditional healing; and avoiding harmful traditional practices (uvulectomy, tonsillectomy, milk teeth extraction, female genital mutilation).

Female genital mutilation is discussed in the Module on Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health.

It is worth noting here that medical blood transfusions are potentially a route for HIV transmission. However, the FMOH has adopted an international standard of quality assurance for blood screening of HIV and other important pathogens. Hence, you need to reassure people in your community that blood transfusions are safe.