Means and Requirements for HIV Transmission HIV transmission may also occur in occupational settings, which will be discussed later in this section. HIV transmission may occur during practices such as tattooing, blood-sharing activities such as “blood brother” rituals, or any other type of ritualistic ceremonies where blood is exchanged, or when unsterilized equipment contaminated with blood is shared. The most common of the risk behaviors are unprotected sexual intercourse (anal, vaginal, oral) with an infected person and use of contaminated equipment for injecting drugs. BloodĪccess to another person’s bloodstream involves behaviors or circumstances that place someone at risk for infectious fluid entering their bloodstream. The concentration and amount of HIV necessary for infection to occur is called a sufficient dose. Therefore, the most common body fluids considered potentially infectious for HIV are blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. These fluids are generally not found outside the hospital setting. In settings such as hospital operating rooms, other fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, and amniotic fluid may be considered infectious if the source is HIV positive. Sweat, tears, saliva, urine, and feces are not capable of transmitting HIV unless visibly contaminated with blood. Transmission occurs primarily through infected blood, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast milk. There must be access to the bloodstream of another person.Īnyone infected with the virus is potentially a source of HIV infection.There must be a sufficient dose of virus.In order for HIV to be transmitted, three conditions must occur: HIV is not easy to “catch”-it must be acquired. HIV is a relatively fragile virus, which is not spread by casual contact.

Hiv transmission saliva