HIV does
not get passed through your skin when there are no cuts or abrasions
on it. HIV does not get passed through the air like a cold or flu.
HIV does not get passed from one person to another through deep
kissing, mutual masturbation or inserting fingers into the vagina
or anus (“ass”, “bum” or “butt”).
HIV is a fragile virus that cannot survive outside of the body.
That is why you cannot be infected with HIV from toilet seats or
from sharing dishes or utensils.
You can be infected with HIV if you do certain things that allow
enough HIV to get into your bloodstream from the body fluids of
a person who is already infected with this virus.
There are only four body fluids which have enough HIV in them to
infect someone:
- blood
- semen (cum)
- vaginal fluids (including menstrual fluids)
- breast milk
You
cannot get HIV from any other body fluids. You cannot get HIV
from saliva (spit), sweat or urine (pee). The only body fluids
that have enough HIV in them to infect someone are blood, semen,
vaginal fluids, and breast milk.
You become infected with HIV when one of these four body fluids,
infected with the HIV virus, comes into contact with your body
in a way that allows the virus to get into your bloodstream.
The most likely way that enough HIV gets into a person’s bloodstream
is through the interior skin or linings --the mucous membranes--
of the vagina, the cervix (which is inside a woman's vagina),
the rectum (“ass”, “bum” or “butt”), or the urethra (this is what
we pee through- it’s the tube inside a man’s penis, or in front
of the vagina in women). HIV can be transmitted if you have anal
or vaginal sex without a condom or if you share sex toys -- like
a dildo, vibrator or butt plug -- that have not been cleaned each
time someone uses them.
Anal or vaginal sex without using a condom, or sharing sex toys
without washing them carefully, or not using a new condom between
partners are very risky activities.
HIV can get into the bloodstream through the mouth and throat.
This is rare. Some people have gotten HIV when they have performed
oral sex (given a man a ‘blow job’ or ‘gone down’ on a woman)
but it is rare. No one ever got HIV from someone going down on
them.
When a person has a sexually transmitted infection (STI) like
gonorrhea, warts, or herpes, his or her risk for getting HIV increases
a lot. Regular check-ups are important as one way of preventing
HIV transmission.
Most people get infected with HIV when they have anal or vaginal
sex without a condom or when they share a needle that has not
been cleaned.
Another common way that HIV gets into the blood is through a puncture
from a needle that has already been used by someone else and had
not been cleaned. When people who are injecting drugs share the
works (needle, cooker) but do not clean them each time they use
them, it is easy to get HIV.
HIV can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy,
labour or delivery. Without anti-HIV drug treatment there is about
a 25% chance the child will be infected. With treatment, the rate
drops to about 8%. However, the long term effects of the drugs
on the child are not yet known.
HIV can also be passed to a child through breast feeding if the
mother has HIV.
Some people have been infected with HIV through blood transfusions
and blood products used to treat illnesses like haemophilia. Since
1985 all donated blood in Canada is tested for HIV. You cannot
become infected when you donate blood.
Information
provided by AIDS Committee of Toronto website.
