HIV is an infectious disease with a transmission pattern like that of hepatitis B.

However, it is much less infectious than hepatitis B. Consequently protection against HIV is automatically offered by 'universal precautions' against hepatitis B and other pathogens.

Most health care workers will already be familiar with these, so no extensive retraining is required.

Similar protocols are designed to protect against particular opportunistic infections, see below.

These existing protocols are designed to protect you irrespective of who is involved. Remember, that for each person whom you know or think has HIV, there are going to be several others whom you don't know about. So relying on knowledge of people's antibody status is dangerously irrelevant. And it would be unethical to refuse health care to anyone on those grounds.

Instead, the best precaution is making sure that:

• You're satisfied you've had adequate training.
• You have been immunised against hepatitis B.
• You understand the proper protocols.
• You're supplied with all the necessary infection control equipment.
• You stick to the proper protocols.
• You report any incidents, problems or concerns to your supervisor or manager.
• You take precautions against needle stick injuries and other accidents, see below.