Prevention · Education · Support · Referrals

Serving the mountain communities of Banff, Canmore, Kananaskis
Lake Louise, Exshaw and Morley

Free
condoms
are
available
at the
following
locations:

AIDS Bow
Valley

The
Living
Room

The
Banff
YWCA

The Banff
Centre

Lube and
dental dams
are also
available at the
AIDS Bow Valley
office
302 Buffalo St.

is the virus that causes:

 

HIV is spread by:
- blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk

HIV gets into the body by:
- sharing needles and syringes
- sexual intercourse without a latex condom
- perinatal (from mother to child) transmission

**Kissing, hugging, holding hands and day-to-day contact with an HIV+ individual do NOT put you at risk for HIV infection.

Transmission requires:
1. The body fluids of an infected person containing a high enough concentration of HIV to transmit the virus. (listed above)
2. An entry point into your body - cut, needle incision, mucous membrane (vagina, anus, urethra, baby's palate)
3. An activity that allows their fluids to come in contact with the entry point.

 

Did you know?
 

Kissing
While all body fluids of an HIV + person contain HIV, the concentration of HIV in saliva is so low that a person would have to drink a large quantity (bathtub size quantity) in one sitting to be at risk. Kissing is a risk, however, if you or your partner, have cuts in or around your mouths or if there is blood present in the saliva.

Tattoos
Activities that allow fluid to come in contact with an entry point include unsafe body art (piercing and tattooing) where new or properly sterilized needles are not being used for each and every client and/or inks are being reused.

Prevention
All activities have varying degrees of risk and your risk can be greatly diminished through preventative measures (ie. correct and consistent condom use).
Abstinence remains the only 100% safe method.