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How Is the Virus Transmitted?

HIV lives in blood and other body fluids that contain blood or white blood cells. People have gotten HIV through:

  • Unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV-infected person. This includes vaginal or anal intercourse, and oral sex on a man or woman without a condom or other barrier. Intercourse while a woman is having her period, or during outbreaks of genital sores or lesions (caused by herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases) can increase the risk of HIV transmission.

  • Sharing drug injection equipment (needles and/or works); or being accidentally stuck by needles or sharp objects contaminated with infected blood.

  • Infected blood used in transfusions, and infected blood products used in the treatment of certain diseases and disorders (like hemophilia), before March, 1985. (Since 1985, federally mandated screening of the blood supply has reduced the risk of transmission through this route to 1 in 255,000.)

  • Pregnancy, childbirth, and/or breastfeeding, where the virus is passed from mother to child.

  • Transplanted organs from infected donors. (Routine screening of organ donors also began in 1985.)

HIV and AIDS are not transmitted through casual contact (that is, where no blood or body fluids are involved). HIV is what gets passed from person to person.

People don't "catch AIDS"; they "become infected with HIV."



NEXT:- WHAT DOES AN "HIV POSITIVE" TEST RESULT MEAN?


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