Individuals may be at increased risk of acquiring HIV if:
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They engage in risky sexual behaviour (having unprotected sex or multiple concurrent partners)
- Bacterial and viral sexually transmitted infections & bacterial vaginosis increases susceptibility to HIV infection
- Young women 25 and under have increased susceptibility due to thinner cervical lining
- Menstruating women have thinning of vaginal wall during times of menstruation increases susceptibility to HIV infection
- Uncircumcised males have foreskin which can contain a large number of Langerhans cells that might be targets for HIV transmission during sex
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They come in contact with infected blood products
- Contact with blood products from an HIV individual increases susceptibility to HIV
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Their mother is HIV positive during the perinatal period
- Pregnant mothers who are HIV positive can transmit HIV to their baby during birth or during breast feeding
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They have issues with substance use and abuse
- Intravenous drug use and needle sharing with infected individuals can lead to HIV infection
- Opiods affect decision making ability and can lead to risky sexual behaviours
- Alcohol impairs immune function and increases susceptibility to HIV infection
- Cocaine allows HIV to cross blood brain barrier increasing its permeability and increases susceptibility to HIV infection