HIV/AIDS Program
How is HIV transmitted?
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How is HIV transmitted? |
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HIV is transmitted when infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk enter another person's body. This most often occurs during unprotected sex or during injection drug use (when needles are shared). Anyone who is infected with HIV can transmit it, whether or not they appear sick, have an AIDS diagnosis, or are taking effective treatment for their infection. Infected women who become pregnant can transmit HIV to their newborns and are much more likely to do so if they are not treated effectively.
> HIV is spread in the following ways:
Unprotected sexual intercourse.
HIV can enter the body during sex through the mucous membranes of the anus, vagina, penis (urethra), or mouth; AND through cuts, sores, and abrasions on the skin. Unprotected anal and vaginal sex are the riskiest sexual activities. There are a small, but growing, number of reported cases of HIV transmission through oral sex; however, the risk of oral sex transmission is clearly lower than for anal or vaginal sex. With each of these practices, the receptive partner (vagina, anus, mouth) is at greatest risk; however, the inserting partner is also at high risk.
Injection drug use.
Using shared, unsterile needles and syringes carries a high risk of HIV transmission. Sharing cookers, cottons, and water for mixing/bleaching can also transmit HIV. After use, small amounts of blood can remain in the used needles, syringes, cookers, and cottons. Blood may also remain in the water used for mixing drugs or bleaching equipment. This remaining blood can enter the body of the next user when any of these items are shared. If this blood is HIV infected, transmission can easily occur.
From an infected mother to her infant.
HIV can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, during birth, or through breast-feeding. Before treatment with AZT became a routine recommendation, about 1 in 4 or 5 babies born to HIV-infected women became infected. Now, when treatment is taken, the HIV transmission rate from a mother to her baby is greatly reduced. Consequently, all pregnant women should see their doctor, be tested for HIV, and obtain recommended treatment.
> HIV is rarely transmitted in the following ways:
Blood transfusions and organ transplants.
The risk of acquiring HIV from a blood transfusion today is estimated to be 1 in 4 for every 600,000 transfusions. The risk of acquiring HIV from an organ transplantation is probably similar. Before 1985, there were no tests to screen blood and organ donations for HIV. Today, blood and organ banks screen out most potential donors at risk for HIV infection in advance. They then do extensive testing on specimens of blood, blood products, and organs for HIV and other blood-borne germs.
The health care setting.
There is a very small, but real, risk of health care workers getting HIV from patients as a result of needle stick accidents and other substantial blood exposures. The risk of patients getting infected from health care workers is also very small. A large series of studies of HIV-infected surgeons and dentists have not shown any transmissions to patients. Nonetheless, seven patients may have become infected from a dentist with AIDS in Florida, and several other transmissions have been traced to surgeons.
> HIV is not transmitted in the following ways:
Casual contact.
HIV is not spread by casual contact. It dies quickly outside the body and is easily killed by soap and by common disinfectants such as bleach. There is no risk of HIV infection from:
- donating blood
- mosquito bites
- toilet seats
- shaking hands
- hugging
- sharing eating utensils
- food or objects handled by people with HIV or AIDS
- spending time in the same house, business, or public place with a person with HIV/AIDS.
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Who is at risk for HIV infection? |
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Anyone can become infected with HIV. In the United States, men who have sex with other men and people who use needles to inject illicit drugs are at the highest risk of HIV infection. Heterosexual partners of injection drug users and bisexual men account for a growing number of reported AIDS cases in the United States, especially among women.
About 750,000 persons are believed to be infected with HIV in the United States, including approximately 6,000-9,000 people in King County, Washington.
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How can HIV transmission from injection drug use be prevented? |
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The surest way to completely avoid HIV infection from injection drug use is to abstain. The next surest way is to use a brand new syringe every time you inject. If brand new syringes are not available, properly bleaching a used syringe may be an effective method of reducing HIV transmission.
In addition to needles, sharing cookers, cottons, other parts of the syringe (e.g., the barrel and plunger), or water used for mixing/bleaching also can transmit HIV. To avoid infection, these items must not be shared.
Drugs -- injected or not -- can also increase a person's risk for HIV by impairing judgement, decision-making ability, and/or by enhancing sexual drive. Studies have shown that - even when drunk or high - people can successfully use condoms and clean needles/syringes. Nonetheless, people who are drunk or high often take more risks than if they were sober.
Public Health operates Needle Exchange Programs in several locations. Needle Exchanges trade new needles/syringes for used ones free of charge. For more information, call the HIV/STD Hotline at (206) 205-STDS (7837).
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How can the sexual transmission of HIV be prevented? |
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The surest way to avoid the sexual transmission of HIV infection is to abstain from sexual activity with other people. The next surest way is to have sex with only one partner who is known to be uninfected with HIV and who only has sex with you.
For someone with an HIV positive partner, a partner who does not know their HIV status, or multiple sexual partners, touching, dry kissing, body rubbing, and mutual masturbation are the safest sexual activities. For any penetrative sex acts such as vaginal, anal, or oral sex, condoms are highly effective at reducing the risk of HIV transmission especially when used consistently and correctly.
For those with a new sex partner, abstain or use condoms for at least 3 months and then get tested for HIV antibodies. If you and your partner are both HIV negative and each of you are not engaging in other risk behaviors (e.g., sharing needles or having other sex partners), then you won't have to worry about HIV infection.
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related links
Birth Control and Sexual Health The Family Planning Program provides reproductive health, birth control, STD, outreach and education services for King County residents in order to promote sexual health and well being and reduce unintended pregnancies.
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"Who Does What" A list of HIV/AIDS services and programs
 A thorough list of local and national agencies and organizations whose primary goal is the prevention and spread of HIV/AIDS.
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GLBT Health Webpages 
These web pages address the health concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, also known as "GLBT" people and "sexual minorities."
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 King County Needle Exchange Program
Needle exchange is designed to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne infections among injection drug users, their families and communities.
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 What causes an abscess?
An abscess is a pocket of pus which means you have an infection. What causes an abscess? Drug shooters often get abscesses on their arms or legs at injection sites.
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 The Point is the Point!
Exposed points are really dangerous. So are broken-off points. They are hard to see and can easily get lost in clothes, carpets, couches, wherever. Always use a new syringe everytime you inject.
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 How to bleach your works in 3 easy steps
The safest choice is to use a brand new syringe every time you inject or divide drugs. If you don't have a brand new syringe, bleaching can lower your risk for HIV.
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