Aids how is it contracted

Understanding how HIV spreads can help you make safer choices about sex. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about HIV and if you want to get tested. Reviewed by: Robyn R. Miller, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Getting stuck with an HIV-contaminated needle or other sharp object. This is a risk mainly for health care workers. The risk is very low. HIV is spread only in extremely rare cases by: Having oral sex.

The risk is extremely small these days because of rigorous testing of the U. Being bitten by a person with HIV. Each of the very small number of documented cases has involved severe trauma with extensive tissue damage and the presence of blood. There is no risk of transmission if the skin is not broken.

Contact between broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes and HIV-infected blood or blood-contaminated body fluids. Deep, open-mouth kissing if both partners have sores or bleeding gums and blood from the HIV-positive partner gets into the bloodstream of the HIV-negative partner.

HIV is not spread through saliva. Eating food that has been pre-chewed by a person with HIV. The only known cases are among infants.

There are other ways to prevent getting or transmitting HIV through injection drug use and sexual activity. Was this page helpful? Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience. View the changes to our visitor policy » View information for Guest Services ». New to MyHealth? Manage Your Care From Anywhere. Activate Account.

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