There are four main ways in which HIV is transmitted: through unprotected sexual contact; sharing hypodermic needles; from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding; and from receiving an infected donated fluid, tissue or organ. It is important to understand how people become HIV positive to protect your own health, as well as to avoid unnecessary fears about behaviors that do not transmit HIV.
Features
No matter the mode of transmission, HIV is a virus that must enter the bloodstream in sufficient quantities to trigger an infection. HIV is found in semen, blood, vaginal secretions, breast milk and other body fluids that contain blood; other fluids may contain HIV, but not in sufficient quantities to trigger infection (cdc.gov).
Sexual Contact
Unprotected sexual contact is one of the primary means of HIV transmission. Unprotected anal, vaginal and sometimes oral intercourse are all behaviors that carry a risk of HIV transmission.
Needle Sharing
Sharing needles with an HIV-positive person, as in intravenous drug use, is a high-risk behavior for HIV transmission. Those working in the health field are sometimes (rarely) infected when accidentally stuck with a needle used on an HIV-positive person.
Mother-to-Child Transmission
HIV-positive mothers can transmit the virus to their offspring during pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding. Pregnant women can greatly reduce this risk by getting tested and, if they are HIV-positive, taking prescribed antiretroviral drugs, along with not breast-feeding and making sure to give their children drugs prescribed for them after birth. Doctors also will commonly recommend that women have a cesarean section, to reduce transmission risk during birth.
Donated Fluids and Organs
It is possible to contract HIV from infected donations of blood and blood products and semen, as well as tissues and organs. However, most developed countries have eliminated this risk by screening all of these products for HIV.
Misconceptions
HIV cannot be transmitted through casual contact like hugging or sharing a glass, through using the same toilet or swimming facilities, through coughing or sneezing, or by kissing (unless there is infected blood which can enter an open cut or sore present). HIV is not transmitted by mosquitoes, and no form of it is airborne.
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