Trasfer

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[Where is HIV found?] [How can I get it?] [What are the chances?]
Where is HIV found?

Fortunantley, HIV is only found in some bodily fluids!


The concentration of HIV per milliliter decreases as you go down the list

  • Blood
  • Semen
  • Vaginal Secretions
  • Breast Milk
  • Saliva
  • Tears
  • Sweat
  • Urine

Unfortunantely, these fluids are found in every part of our bodies!

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How can I get it?

The three main ways someone can get HIV is through unprotected sex, dirty needles, and from mother to child. These three types of transfer account for over 99% of all new infections in the past year. However, in order to get the full picture of how you can get AIDS, it's best to look at other possible routes at getting an infection:

Syringe

  • Clotting Injections- Clotting injections, or the injection of protein factors required for clotting (so if you cut yourself you bleed to death) are required for hemophiliacs, or people who didn't have this protein. Unfortunantly, the injection contained particles and viruses from thousands of blood donors. In the early 1980's, the transmission of HIV was extremely high through these clotting injections. Now, also 75% of all hemophilics are HIV infected. The problem has since (in 1985) been fixed. It is now extemely unlikely that you would get HIV through an injection of this sort.

  • Blood Transfusions/Organ Transplants- Blood transfusion and organ transplant patients had the same problem as the hemophilics in that no one knew that HIV was circulating in the blood supply. This too has been fixed through HIV tests and now the probability of receiving HIV through a blood transfusion is 1/250,000. The probability for organ transplants is 1/100,000. This is due to the 'window period' where the HIV won't be able to detect if someone has HIV. This window period begins soon after the person first gets HIV, but hasn't had the time to develop antibodies for HIV. (The HIV tests test for your HIV antibodies, not HIV) This window period can last up to 6 months, but rarely lasts longer than a week.

  • Mother to Infant- Transmission from an HIV positive mother to her infant can occur in three ways. It can occur during pregnancy, where the mother and child might exchange blood. Or, it can occur in the birthing process when the fetus is exposed to an abundant amount of the mother's blood. Lastly, breast feeding will give the mother's bodily fluids to the child, which is yet another way to transfer HIV. The total probability that a child would receive HIV from her mother about 1/3 to 1/5. This increases to 1/2 in the mother drinks large amounts of alchohol.

  • Blood to Open Wound- This is an extremely unlikely mechanism of transfer. Only one case has been verified as a possible blood-to-open would transmission.

  • Tattoos/Body Piercing- Amazingly, tattoos and piercing are accounted for the growing number of HIV cases in teens today. All I can say is be careful and make sure they use new needles every time.

    New let's look at some ways how you can't get HIV!

    Bug

  • Casual contact
  • Sharing clothes
  • Sharing sheets
  • Sitting near someone
  • Hugging
  • Kissing
  • Holding hands
  • Sharing silverware
  • Sharing food
  • Insects, parasites, animals
  • Toilet seats
  • Swimming pools
  • Giving blood

You people can give HIV to other people!

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What are the chances?

Probability

These figures should stand for themselves.

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