How Is HIV Transmitted Through Body Fluids?

HIV is transmitted through body fluids in very specific ways:

• During pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding:

Babies have constant contact with their mother’s body fluids-including amniotic fluid and blood-throughout pregnancy and childbirth. After birth, infants can get HIV from drinking infected breast milk.

• As a result of injection drug use:

Injecting drugs puts you in contact with blood-your own and others, if you share needles and “works”. Needles or drugs that are contaminated with HIV-infected blood can deliver the virus directly into your body.

• As a result of occupational exposure:

Healthcare workers have the greatest risk for this type of HIV transmission. If you work in a healthcare setting, you can come into contact with infected blood or other fluids through needle sticks or cuts. A few healthcare workers have been infected when body fluids splashed into their eyes, mouth, or into an open sore or cut.

• As a result of a blood transfusion with infected blood or an organ transplant from an infected donor:

Screening requirements make both of these forms of HIV transmission very rare in the United States.

• During sexual contact:

You need to know that it’s much easier to get HIV (or to give it to someone else), if you have a sexually transmitted disease (STD).