What if prevention were not a list of prohibitions, but a set of tools that allow you to live with freedom?
That is exactly the premise behind combined prevention: an approach that recognizes that we are all different, that our lives are complex, and that taking care of ourselves shouldn't come with guilt, fear, or restriction. Combined prevention is not an isolated event — it is a continuum spanning education and testing, access to technologies like PrEP, communication with partners, conscious self-care, and awareness of one's own rights.
In the new era of sexual health, prevention is a right. And exercising it is an act of self-love and collective care.
Combined prevention: a comprehensive approach
For decades, the conversation about HIV prevention revolved around a single message. That message remains valid — but it is incomplete.
Combined prevention is the strategy endorsed by WHO, UNAIDS, and the Pan American Health Organization. It simultaneously integrates biomedical, behavioral, and structural interventions, applied at multiple levels — individual, partner, community, and social — to respond to the specific needs of each person and context.
We also recognize that social and economic factors can increase the structural vulnerability of certain populations to HIV. Therefore, every prevention tool available — from condoms to PrEP — is also a tool for health equity. There is no single option that works for everyone at every stage of life. What does exist is a menu of scientifically-backed options and the right of each person to choose the combination that best fits their reality.
The condom: the tool that never goes out of season
The condom — both external and internal — remains the most accessible, most studied, and most effective barrier method for simultaneously preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Condoms are highly effective at preventing HIV and other STIs. Knowing how to use both external and internal condoms correctly is essential to their effectiveness.
A technical point that makes a real difference: using water-based or silicone-based lubricant with the condom reduces the risk of breakage and prevents microlesions in mucous membranes — which significantly decreases the likelihood of transmission. This detail, emphasized by the United Nations System in its prevention guides, turns the condom-plus-lubricant combination into a dual barrier that provides comprehensive protection.
The internal condom — also called the female condom — is a valid option for people of all genders and expands each person's ability to take control of their own prevention. Consistent, not occasional, use is what determines its effectiveness.
An important clarification: condoms offer supplementary protection against HIV and protect against other sexually transmitted infections — something that other prevention tools, like PrEP, do not cover. Condoms and PrEP are not mutually exclusive: they are complementary.
PrEP: science in the service of freedom
Few public health innovations in recent decades have had the impact of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.
What is PrEP? PrEP consists of HIV medications that, when used systematically, are highly effective in preventing HIV from establishing and spreading in the body after a possible exposure. It is taken before a possible exposure — hence its name — and works by blocking the virus's life cycle before it can establish itself.
How effective is it? Consistent PrEP use reduces the risk of contracting HIV through sexual intercourse by approximately 99% and through injection drug use by at least 74%. These numbers are not promises — they are the result of rigorous clinical trials endorsed by the world's leading public health organizations.
~99%
Sexual risk reduction
≥74%
Injection drug risk reduction
Who is it indicated for? PrEP is recommended for HIV-negative people in situations of greater structural vulnerability to the virus, including, among other profiles, those who have partners living with HIV with unknown or detectable viral load, those who have had a recent STI diagnosis, those with multiple sexual partners, and those who have previously received a PEP prescription. When offering PrEP, priority should be given to people who request it, as requesting it indicates a likelihood that the person is at risk of acquiring HIV.
What does PrEP NOT cover? This point is crucial: PrEP does not protect against other STIs, so it should be used in combination with condoms. Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and other infections still require condoms as a barrier.
How is it taken? The most studied modality is a daily pill. Daily PrEP use provides the highest concentration of medication in the blood and body tissues and, therefore, the greatest degree of protection. There is also an on-demand regimen — known as 2-1-1 — that may be suitable for certain profiles, according to medical evaluation.
At VIHvos you can be evaluated as a PrEP candidate. Our team conducts the appropriate clinical evaluation — which includes an HIV test, kidney function assessment, and periodic follow-up — in a confidential, stigma-free environment. Book your appointment at www.VihvosApp.com
Risk reduction and conscious self-care
The harm and risk reduction approach — endorsed by UNAIDS, WHO, and leading public health systems — is based on a fundamental principle: people make their own decisions, and the role of the health system is to accompany those decisions with tools and information that reduce harm, not with judgments that drive people away from necessary care.
Substance use can affect risk perception, decision-making, and the ability to consistently use prevention supplies. That is not a moral judgment — it is a relevant clinical fact. We promote conscious self-care and reduction of risks associated with substance use, offering tools so that it does not compromise anyone's sexual health. If substance use is affecting treatment adherence or prevention practice, the VIHvos team has psychosocial care available — no conditions and no stigma.
Voluntary testing: sovereignty over one's own body
Voluntary testing is an act of sovereignty over one's own body. Knowing one's serological status enables timely assistance in linking to health services, guaranteeing the right to the highest standard of physical and emotional well-being.
Approximately 14% of people living with HIV in Latin America are unaware of their serological status. From the combined prevention perspective, that 14% represents a concrete opportunity for intervention: every person who gets tested and knows their status can, if negative, access tools like PrEP and condoms with accurate information; and if positive, start treatment in time to achieve viral suppression and protect their health and that of their partners.
At VIHvos, the rapid HIV and Syphilis test is free, confidential, and with results available in less than 24 hours. And remember: in Venezuela the law guarantees that your serological status is strictly confidential and protects your right to work without discrimination. If you want to learn more about the legal framework that protects you, you can read about it in detail in our article Living with HIV: A Guide to Talking with Your Family and Building Support Networks.
Talking about prevention with your partner: the conversation that changes everything
Prevention is not the exclusive responsibility of one person — it is a shared practice. Having that conversation, even though it may feel uncomfortable at first, is one of the most powerful acts of care that exist in a relationship.
Sharing serological status, agreeing on which prevention supplies to use, and scheduling testing as a couple are actions that normalize care and make it a natural part of sexual life. Distributed responsibility is more solid — and more sustainable — than individual responsibility.
Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U). People living with HIV who take their medications every day as prescribed and maintain an undetectable viral load will not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex.
Your turn
Combined prevention is a right — and at VIHvos it is available right now.
In one place you can access a rapid HIV and Syphilis test, prevention supplies, PrEP evaluation if you are a candidate, psychosocial care, and assistance in linking to the public health system. All free, confidential, and in a stigma-free environment.
Getting tested is an act of self-love and collective care.
Book your appointment at VIHvosApp.comEducation that builds awareness. Awareness that saves lives.