How easy is it to contract the hiv virus?

Question

I know that you can catch hiv from unprotected sex, and blood transfusions, but is there any other way that you can contract it? Like for example is someone that has hiv uses something like lotion or some type of skin therapy on their body and then you use it, can you contract it? Or better yet how easy is it to contract this virus? And is it a rare virus?

Answer 1

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection results from 1 of 2 similar retroviruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2) that destroy CD4+ lymphocytes and impair cell-mediated immunity, increasing risk of certain infections and cancers. Initial infection may produce nonspecific febrile illness. The risk of subsequent manifestations—related to immunodeficiency—is proportional to the level of CD4+ lymphocytes. Manifestations range from asymptomatic carriage to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is defined by serious opportunistic infections or cancers. HIV infection is diagnosable by antibody or antigen testing. Treatment aims to suppress HIV replication by combinations of drugs that inhibit HIV enzymes. (Merck)
Health Tip: Prevent HIV infection
• Stay faithful to your partner; do not have multiple sex partners.
• Avoid sex with an infected person and commercial sex workers.
• Use a condom for barrier protection.
• Do not reuse needles or syringes.
Please see the web pages for more details on HIV.

Answer 2

It isn't a rare virus. A lot of people have gotten it--hundreds of millions, actually. You can get it through drug use(sharing needles with a person infected with HIV), unprotected sexual activity, blood transfusions(those are rare, they screen blood a lot more nowadays), swallowing semen/vaginal fluid/blood of an infected person. You can't contract it through lotion or anything else they put on their skin. It just can't go through your skin or survive in a lotion bottle. It isn't that easy to contract the body unless you're involved in promiscuous activity or drug use. Plus, if the HIV+ person is on medicine to control the virus and their viral load is down, then there is so little of the virus present in a sample of their blood/other fluids, that it is nearly impossible to get the virus from them--though not impossible. HIV is a serious disease and if you don't protect yourself from it, then you could get it.

P.S. The people above that said you can get it from kissing are wrong. You can't get it by kissing an infected person, this is a common misconception. This being because there is such a small amount of the virus in the saliva, it's practically impossible to get it that way--same goes for tears. It's not in all bodily fluids. Just wanted to clear that up...So, don't be afraid to kiss a person who has HIV.

Answer 3

I've noticed Ganesha has been spreading his/her version of ignorant around the STD page today - best option would be to ignore him/her.

HIV a blood-born virus, and it is spread in almost all cases by blood-to-blood contact (transfusion, needle-stick, IV drug users) and sexual contact. I believe there has been once case reported in the medical literature where it was spread by kissing - it would require a lot of kissing and fairly deep (bleeding) wounds in the mouths of both individuals. Not likely.

As for lotion - not unless they were hemorrhaging into the lotion and you had fresh open cuts where you were spreading it.

To give you an example of HIVs infectivity: in a needlestick situation (medical personnel accidently sticks themselves with a needled used on an infected individual), the traditional rate of transmission is 30% for Hep B, 3% of Hep C, and 0.3% for HIV. Some studies suggest infected macrophage transfer is required for infection to transmit. As far as viruses go, it is not a terribly infectious one - but because of the implications of infection and the fact that it is nonetheless not uncommon, precautions should certainly be taken to avoid it.

Answer 4

"The HIV virus" is a myth of sorts. Supposedly it has never truly been identified or even singled out. The tests for HIV look for over 60 "flags" within antibodies. These 60 flags can be activitated by a significant number of diseases and conditions. Now, having said all that, HIV is relatively easy to get because it represents such a broad spectrum of relatively untreatable symptoms and conditions. Play by the known rules that you have stated and you should be relatively safe.... you have a 1 in 700 chance of dying in a car wreck...

Answer 5

Yo can get it from any body fluids, and you have any kind openening for the virus to enter your body. Kissing can do it.

Answer 6

said that it can be transmitted in all body fluids including tears and saliva