Educators and health care The Canadian AIDS Society continues to acknowledge the providers must realize that to prevent HIV transmission assistance of the organizations and individuals who contrib- successfully they must incorporate prevention information uted to the first, second and third editions of this document within the reality of an individual’s life. [...] This fifth edition is the result of a three-part process: counsellors, health care providers and others who provide (1) an exhaustive review of the literature; (2) a national information and support about safer sex, substance use consultation of medical, scientific and community-based and HIV and HCV transmission in various community experts to assess the continuing accuracy of the document, setti [...] It is assumed that the reader will have a degree of how it has been used and how it could be improved; and (3) familiarity with scientific and technical language about HIV review of a draft of the final document by a committee of transmission and risk reduction. [...] Other sources need to be consulted to learn more Affirming Sexuality and the Risk about the means of equipping people with the under- Reduction Approach standing, motivation, skills, resources and social support necessary to make informed decisions about their sexual, Since the beginning of the HIV and HCV epidemics, it has substance-using and other life choices. [...] The earliest AIDS-specific safer sex guidelines date including alternatives for delivery, termination of the from 1983 and were modelled on precautions to reduce the pregnancy and therapeutic options (for HIV) to reduce transmission of hepatitis B, which then was prevalent in the risk of transmission to the fetus if they are HIV communities becoming affected by AIDS.