NEW WAYS HIV/ AIDS CAN BE TRANSMITTED.

Anyone can contract HIV. The virus is transmitted in bodily fluids that include:

• blood
• semen
• vaginal and rectal fluids
• breast milk

Some of the ways HIV is transferred from person to person include:

• through vaginal or anal sex — the most common route of transmission
• by sharing needles, syringes, and other items for injection drug use
• by sharing tattoo equipment without sterilizing it between uses
• during pregnancy, labor, or delivery from a pregnant person to their baby
• during breastfeeding
• through “premastication,” or chewing a baby’s food before feeding it to them
• through exposure to the blood, semen, vaginal and rectal fluids, and breast milk of someone living with HIV, such as through a needle stick

The virus can also be transmitted through a blood transfusion or organ and tissue transplant. However, rigorous testing for HIV among blood, organ, and tissue donors ensures that this is very rare in the United States.

It’s theoretically possible, but considered extremely rare, for HIV to be transmitted through:

• oral sex (only if there are bleeding gums or open sores in the person’s mouth)
• being bitten by a person with HIV (only if the saliva is bloody or there are open sores in the person’s mouth)
• contact between broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes and the blood of someone living with HIV

HIV does NOT transfer through:

• skin-to-skin contact
• hugging, shaking hands, or kissing
• air or water
• sharing food or drinks, including drinking fountains
• saliva, tears, or sweat (unless mixed with the blood of a person with HIV)
• sharing a toilet, towels, or bedding
• mosquitoes or other insects

It’s important to note that if a person living with HIV is being treated and has a persistently undetectable viral load, it’s virtually impossible to transmit the virus to another person.