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Can I get
HIV from casual contact (shaking hands, hugging, using a toilet,
drinking from the same glass, or the sneezing and coughing of
an infected person)?
No. HIV is not transmitted
by day-to-day contact in the workplace, schools, or social settings.
HIV is not transmitted through shaking hands, hugging, or a casual
kiss. You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, a drinking
fountain, a door knob, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets.
A small number of cases
of transmission have been reported in which a person became infected
with HIV as a result of contact with blood or other body secretions
from an HIV-infected person in the household. Although contact
with blood and other body substances can occur in households,
transmission of HIV is rare in this setting. However, persons
infected with HIV and persons providing home care for those who
are HIV-infected should be fully educated and trained regarding
appropriate infection-control techniques.
HIV is not an airborne or
food-borne virus, and it does not live long outside the body.
HIV can be found in the blood, semen, or vaginal fluid of an
infected person. The three main ways HIV is transmitted are
- through having sex (anal,
vaginal, or oral) with someone infected with HIV.
- through sharing needles
and syringes with someone who has HIV.
- through exposure (in the
case of infants) to HIV before or during birth, or through breast
feeding.
For more information about
HIV transmission, see "Facts about the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Its
Transmission."
For more information about
providing home care or living with a person who is HIV-infected,
call the CDC National Prevention Information
Network (operators
of the National AIDS Clearinghouse) at 1-800-458-5231 and ask
for the publication "Caring for Someone with AIDS: Information
for Friends, Relatives, Household Members, and Others Who Care
for a Person With AIDS at Home." |
