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HIV Basics

  • HIV is spread through contact with the blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, or breast milk from a person infected with HIV.

  • In the United States, HIV is spread mainly by having sex or sharing injection drug equipment with someone who has HIV. 

  • To reduce your risk of HIV infection, use latex or polyurethane condoms correctly every time you have vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Don’t inject drugs. If you do, use only sterile injection equipment and water and never share your equipment with others.

  • Treatment with HIV medicines (called highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART for short) helps people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. Although HAART can reduce the risk of HIV transmission, it’s still important to use latex or polyurethane condoms during sex.

How is HIV spread?

  • HIV is spread through contact with the certain body fluids from a person infected with HIV:  Blood, Semen, Pre-seminal fluids, Rectal fluids, Vaginal fluids. The spread of HIV from person to person is called HIV transmission. 

  • In the United States, HIV is spread mainly by having sex or sharing injection drug equipment with someone who has HIV. 

  • HIV can also pass from an HIV-infected woman to her child during pregnancy, childbirth (also called labor and delivery), or breastfeeding. This spread of HIV is called mother-to-child transmission of HIV. 

  • In the past, some people were infected with HIV after receiving a blood transfusion or organ transplant from an HIV-infected donor. Today, this risk is very low because the supply of donated blood and organs is carefully tested in the United States. 

  • You can’t get HIV by shaking hands with, hugging, or closed-mouth kissing a person infected with HIV. And you can’t get HIV from contact with objects such as toilet seats, doorknobs, or dishes used by a person infected with HIV.