Transmission of AIDS

Ever had a cold and no-one wants to go near you in case they catch it? Well, like a cold, HIV is a virus, but you can't become infected with it in the same way. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

In the past decade, there has been a lot of publicity and education work undertaken to teach people the ways in which they might be at risk of HIV transmission. In spite of this, some of the messages have been mixed and occasionally contradictory, and there is still some confusion about what is safe and what is not. This section will clear up some of the myths.

Many people are concerned about whether certain situations could result in someone becoming infected. Worries about the possibilities of infection lead to people with HIV being very isolated and sometimes resulted in prejudice and paranoia. HIV is a virus that is found in blood and other body fluids such as semen and vaginal fluids. It can't live for long outside the body, so to be infected with HIV you need to allow some body fluid from an infected person to get inside your body.

The most common ways that people become infected with HIV are:

• by having sexual intercourse with an infected partner

• by injecting drugs using a needle or syringe which has already been used by someone who is infected.

HIV can be passed on in both these ways because the virus is present in the sexual fluids and blood of infected people. If infected blood or sexual fluid gets into your body, then you can become infected.