Category: HIV
WHAT IS HIV AND HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?
HIV stand for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV transmission can occur when blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluid, or breast milk from an infeted person enters the body of an uninfected person. HIV can enter the body through a vein (injection drug use), the lining of the anus or rectum, the lining of the vagina and/or cervix, the opening to the penis, the mouth, other mucous membranes (eyes, nose), or cuts and sores.
Below are the most common ways that HIV is transmitted from one person to another:
* Having sex (anal, vaginal, or oral) with an HIV-infected person
* Sharing needles or injection equipment with an injection drug user who is infected with HIV
* HIV-infected women to their babies before or during birth, or through breast-feeding after birth.
HIV can also be transmitted through receipt of infected blood or blood clotting factors. However, since 1985, all donated blood in the United States has been tested for HIV. Therefore, the risk of infection through transfusion of blood or blood products is extremely low (1 : 2,000,000).