How Is Hiv Spread
HIV is spread through the exchange of particular bodily fluids like semen, breast milk, and blood.
Important: The most common way HIV spreads is through sexual intercourse. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 138 people per 10,000 exposures are at risk of getting HIV through receptive anal sex.
Other common ways in which you can be infected with HIV include:
- Anal sex: Anal sex is the riskiest type of sex to have with a person who has HIV. It becomes even riskier if you are on the receiving end during intercourse. This is because the lining of the rectum is very thin, and can allow the virus to easily pass through.
- Penetrative vaginal sex: This is not as risky as anal sex, but is still a very common way for the virus to be spread. Here either party can contract the virus.
- Sharing needles and syringes: Sharing needles and syringes for steroids, drugs, or hormones with a person who has HIV puts you at high risk of getting the virus.
- Through pregnancy and breastfeeding: HIV can sometimes be passed from a mother to her baby through pregnancy and breastfeeding. This is known as perinatal transmission. It’s uncommon for this to occur if the mother is aware of her status and is receiving adequate treatment.
HIV can also be spread in other ways. However, these are rarer:
Case Of Hiv Transmission Is First To Be Linked To Kiss
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A woman apparently acquired the AIDS virus from deep kisses with an infected man, Federal health officials said yesterday. They said the case was the first reported transmission of H.I.V., the AIDS virus, through kissing.
Both the man and woman had gum disease, factors that apparently facilitated transmission of H.I.V. Transmission most likely was through the man’s blood, not saliva, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said in its weekly report.
In emphasizing the rarity of such transmission, the Federal centers said the case was the only known one involving kissing among the 500,000 AIDS cases that have been reported to it since the epidemic was detected in 1981.
The agency has long recommended against deeply kissing an infected individual and said that individuals who did should be tested for H.I.V. infection.
Those who do not know the infection status of the people they have kissed deeply may want to get H.I.V. tests, just as they would ”for any number of better reasons, including unprotected sex with a member of a risk group,” said Dr. Scott D. Holmberg, an AIDS expert at the centers.
But Dr. Holmberg said that the centers had not issued a recommendation about deep kisses with a partner of unknown H.I.V. status. He and other experts emphasized that they considered the chances of such transmission remote.
*Substances in saliva tend to inhibit H.I.V.
What We Know About Kissing
Theres no chance of getting HIV from closed-mouth or social kissing, and you cant get HIV through saliva. In some very rare cases, people have gotten HIV from deep, open-mouth French kissing because they and their partners had blood in their mouths from bleeding gums or sores . But the chance of getting HIV from deep, open-mouth kissing is much lower than from most other sexual activities.
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Ways Hiv Cannot Be Spread
HIV is not spread by:
- Air or water
- Mosquitoes, ticks or other insects
- Saliva, tears, or sweat that is not mixed with the blood of a person with HIV
- Shaking hands hugging sharing toilets sharing dishes, silverware, or drinking glasses or engaging in closed-mouth or social kissing with a person with HIV
- Drinking fountains
If My Test Is Positive Should I Have To Communicate It
You must know that you have no legal constraint that obliges you to communicate your HIV status to other people . The Italian law, Law 135/90, also protects the right to privacy of personal data, ie the right to every person not to disclose personal information. In particular, physicians and health care professionals, notaries, lawyers, consultants, technicians and SerT operators are bound to observe professional secrecy also to your family members.
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Can I Get Hiv By Anal Intercourse
Yes, as said, the virus is in body fluids: blood, semen, vaginal secretion. In general, the person who receives the seminal fluid has a higher risk of infection, because the lining of the intestine rectum is thin and may allow the virus to cross during intercourse, besides the fact that often arise micro wounds. The other partner is also at risk of infection because the virus can enter through the urethra or through small wounds on the penis. Having anal intercourse without a condom is considered a high-risk behaviour. In addition, while using a condom, anal sex can be risky due to possible breakage of condoms during intercourse. To avoid this, it is advisable to always use a water-based lubricant.
I Shared A Spoon With Someone Who Has Hiv Could I Be Infected
By | Nov. 20, 2012, 12:47 p.m.
Category:
i used the spoon of the infected person . do i have HIV ?
No it isnt possible to become infected with HIV by sharing a spoon with someone who is HIV positive. HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, is transmitted in blood, semen, breast milk, and vaginal fluids but not in saliva.
HIV is most commonly transmitted by having vaginal or anal intercourse without a condom with someone who has HIV/AIDS, sharing needles or syringes with someone who has HIV/AIDS, or getting HIV-infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluid into open wounds or sores. It is NOT spread through casual contact like kissing, hugging, or sharing drinking glasses or utensils.
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What We Know About Injecting Drugs
The risk for getting or transmitting HIV is very high if an HIV-negative person uses needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment after someone with HIV has used them. This is because the needles, syringes, or other injection equipment may have blood in them, and blood can carry HIV. Likewise, youre at risk for getting or transmitting hepatitis B and C if you share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment because these infections are also transmitted through blood.
More Information
In 2017, 6% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States were attributed to injection drug use and 3% were attributed to injection drug use and male-to-male sexual contact . On average, an HIV-negative person has about a 1 in 160 chance of getting HIV every time they share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment with a person who has HIV.
More Information There may be extremely tiny amounts of blood in syringes or works that you may not be able to see, but could still carry HIV. Be aware that HIV can survive in a used syringe for up to 42 days depending on temperature and other factors.
There are medicines to treat hepatitis B. If youve never had hepatitis B, theres a vaccine to prevent it. There are medicines to treat hepatitis C, but they arent right for everyone. Theres no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. Talk to your health care provider to learn more about hepatitis B and C.
Can Sharing Lipstick Lip Balm Or Cigarettes Give You Herpes
As an NYC cosmetic dentist, I get asked all manner of questions from patients sitting in my dentist’s chair. Many of them become blog posts, in fact. I figure if someone visiting me in person has a question, there are likely thousands of others out there with the same question.
And yes, today’s topic comes right from my chair. A young lady asked me last week if sharing lipstick with a friend could transmit herpes. She was worried, because her friend had a cold sore, and while they were out clubbing they ended up sharing lipstick in the bathroom.
Well, I wish I had better news for my patient, but if what her friend had was indeed a cold sore/herpes then yes, it could be transmitted by sharing lipstick.
When discussing herpes in these types of instances, it’s important to point out that we are generally talking about herpes type 1 , and not herpes type 2 . Both types are spread via contact — however, in general terms, genital herpes is spread through sexual contact with the infected areas. Oral herpes is also spread via contact with secretions, but since we’re talking about the mouth, that takes on a myriad of forms.
It’s very safe to say that sharing any or all of the following with a person who has oral herpes increases your risks of getting the same:
- Lipstick
There’s no getting around it — almost anything that comes in contact with the mouth is going to transmit herpes type 1.
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What We Know About Oral Sex
The chance an HIV-negative person will get HIV from oral sex with an HIV-positive partner is extremely low. However, its hard to know the exact risk because a lot of people who have oral sex also have anal or vaginal sex. The risk is even lower if the HIV-negative partner is taking medicine to prevent HIV . If the partner with HIV is taking HIV medicine as prescribed and keeps an undetectable viral load , they have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV through sex, including oral sex.
But you can get other sexually transmitted diseases from oral sex. And, if you get feces in your mouth during anilingus, you can get hepatitis A and B, parasites like Giardia, and other bacteria like Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli.
Does Cunnilingus Is A Intercourse At High Risk Of Hiv Infection
Oral stimulation of the vagina is considered at low risk because vaginal secretions contain a small amount of virus. The risk increases during the menstrual period. Also in this case, the risk is for the person who practices cunnilingus. In mouth-vagina intercourses, the function of the condom can be performed by a dental dum, a latex film suiting these practices. Failing this you can use a normal plastic wrap.
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Hiv Transmission And Risk: Separating Fact From Fiction
Its much harder to transmit HIV than most people think.Thanks to years of dedicated work by scientists and researchers, we now have a solid understanding of the way HIV passes from person to person.
Unfortunately, much of our society is still clinging to harmful, outdated myths about HIV transmission.
In a recent survey, 28% of millennials and Gen Zers said they would be reluctant to hug, talk to, or even associate with someone living with HIVdespite the fact that none of those behaviors pose any risk.
Thankfully, we have good science to combat misinformation about the way HIV passes from one person to another. In this resource guide, well break down the science of HIV transmission and dispel harmful misconceptions. Well also explain why certain groups of people are more likely to be living with HIV than others, and well offer practical steps you can take to keep yourself HIV negativeor, if youre living with HIV, to prevent onward transmission of the virus.
If youre reading this guide because you were recently diagnosed with HIV, remember that you will be OK. Powerful medicines can help you live a long and healthy life. When it comes to HIV transmission, you shouldnt be afraid to hug, kiss, and touch your loved ones. You will not hurt them.
Can The Virus Be Transmitted Through Breastfeeding
Yes, HIV is present in infectious amounts in breast milk. HIV can be passed from an HIV infected mother to her baby through breastfeeding. Most HIV+ children in the Caribbean have been infected through mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
This can be prevented when an HIV infected mother does not breastfeed her baby and uses other alternate milk recommended by her doctor. More information on HIV and pregnancy can be found here.
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Aids Phobia And Conspiracy Theorists
With that being said, there are people who still fear that infection is possible from the unlikely sources, including touching, mosquitos, shared grooming products, and, kissing. AIDS phobia, the paralyzing and unreasonable fear of HIV, plays a huge part in these beliefs. At other times, a person may prescribe to contrarian view about HIV or are simply misinformed about HIV in general.
For these individuals, counseling with a qualified professional may be needed as well as psychotherapy for those experiencing extreme anxiety or depression. Additionally, if the person is at risk of acquiring HIV or in a mixed-status relationship, doctors may want to consider prescribing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis , a once-daily pill that can reduce the risk of HIV by more than 90%.
HIV Doctor Discussion Guide
Myth : You Cant Get Hiv If Youre On Birth Control
The pill might protect you from an unwanted pregnancy, but its no match for HIV. Same goes for other types of birth control, like IUDs, patches, and rings.
If you want to get down without risking HIV transmission, your best bet is to use a condom or other barrier method or PrEP.
Nope, swapping spit doesnt spread HIV . Feel free to hold hands, hug, and share a soda while youre at it.
HIV can be transmitted only through:
- blood
- anal mucous
- breast milk
Saliva doesnt carry enough traces of the virus to worry about, and research as far back as the mid- to late 80s has found that kissing is not a risk factor for transmission of HIV.
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Is There A Cure For Hiv
There is no cure for HIV, but there are medications that are highly effective at controlling it. If you are diagnosed with HIV it is vital to get treatment as soon as you can. Recent studies show starting treatment soon after diagnoses can reduce the risk of HIV related health complications by up to 50%.
Most people only take one or two pills a day which is a simple treatment regime compared to many illnesses. While there are still side effects, these can usually be managed with support from an HIV specialist doctor.
If left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS, which is a life threatening syndrome.
Is Unprotected Anal Intercourse More Of An Hiv Risk Than Vaginal Or Oral Sex
Unprotected anal intercourse does carry a higher risk than most other forms of sexual activity. The lining of the rectum has fewer cells than that of the vagina, and therefore can be damaged more easily, causing bleeding during intercourse. This can then be a route into the bloodstream for infected sexual fluids or blood. There is also a risk to the insertive partner during anal intercourse, though this is lower than the risk to the receptive partner.
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Can You Get Hiv From Kissing
Let’s start by stating the obvious: kissing is considered among the most ineffective means of transmitting HIV from one person to another, with risk considered anywhere from negligible to non-existent.
To date, there has really been only one, rather dubious case where an HIV-negative woman was said to have infected by her HIV-positive male partner, who reportedly deep kissed her on a regular basis over a two-year period, often with bleeding gums.
What makes the casewhich was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention back in 1996highly suspect is the fact that the couple also reported condom breakage during the same period, reported that they had used a nonoxynol-9 lubricant , and reported having vaginal sex and oral sex without condoms during the span of their relationship.
While the CDC reported that they suspected HIV transmission was “possibly associated with exposure of mucous membranes to contaminated blood,” they could not exclude vaginal sex, oral sex, or any other possibility.
Beyond this one incident, there has been no documented case wherein kissing alone was identified as the mode of HIV transmission in either a sexual or social situation.
Ok But What About My Specific Hiv Risk Question
Over the years, we’ve receivedand our experts have answeredliterally thousands of questions from people concerned about a potential exposure to HIV. Some of them have been extremely detailedbut those details don’t change any of the basic facts about how HIV is and isn’t transmitted.
You can figure out the answer to just about every question that could possibly exist about HIV transmission by reading the rest of our article above. But let’s dive into a handful of the most common kinds of questions we’ve seen over the years:
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Myth : Hiv And Aids Are The Same Thing
We get it: HIV and AIDS have been lumped together for so long that many people assume theyre the same thing.
But lets get the facts straight. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, while AIDS is a condition that can develop after HIV has caused serious damage.
You can live with HIV and stay healthy for decades without ever developing AIDS, as long as you get treatment. Otherwise, HIV can progress to AIDS in three stages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention :
Once upon a time, HIV was sort of seen as a death sentence because of that progression to AIDS. But thanks to treatment options that have been developed over the years, most people with HIV never reach a late-stage infection and often have long, healthy lives.