Because HIV is most often spread through sexual activity and the sharing of dirty needles, the best way to slow its spread is to treat it like any other similarly communicable public health threat: through education and discouragement of high-risk behavior. Deadly sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis were controlled through education and the monitoring of disease-carriers long before other remedies were available.
Those who already have AIDS can protect others from infection, and themselves from reinfection, by avoiding high-risk behavior. Although anti-AIDS drugs have harsh side effects, if combined with proper nutrition and careful living they can sometimes allow many years of good health. People infected with HIV can live normally and make a significant contribution to their families and society.
