RISKY BEHAVIOR

If a person with the HIV infection has not been tested and their immune system has still a fair number of T-cells, that person may look and feel fine.

In early years of the AIDS epidemic, you were either a homosexual, heroin addict, hemophiliac, or other. Today, HIV is considered a blood-borne, sexually transmitted disease, so there are many "behaviors" that can put you at risk.

Heterosexual HIV Transmission

Vaginal Intercourse = for women this transmission makes up the largest percentage of the total HIV infections. Abrasions and small tears on the vagina wall during intercourse, women choosing to not use condoms, and to have multiple sex partners can cause women to easily be infected with the virus.

Homosexual HIV Transmission

Oral Intercourse = a cut or sore in one's mouth can directly contract the HIV virus during sex with an infected person.

Anal Intercourse = new infections among gay men are due to abrasions and small tears on the rectal wall during anal intercourse.

Drug Use

Shared Skin Popping = when users inject a drug underneath their skin. The sharing of an infected needle means that a syringe contains a mixture of your blood and your partner's blood.

Shared Mainlining = when a person uses a syringe to inject drugs into one of their veins at the fold of their right/left arm above the elbow. Persons sharing syringes often don't know that their partner's infected blood can be left in the syringe, thus causing transmission of the HIV virus.

Infected Needles = An instrument that can break your skin and has the potential to infect another person. There is a chance that HIV can be transmitted through: needles, tatoo needles, steroid needles, and dental instruments.

Other Transmissions

Blood Products = There is a slim chance that HIV can be transmitted from blood and blood products. The blood categories are: blood transfusions, organ transplants, artificial insemination, platelet transfusions, and red/white blood cell transfusions used by hemophiliacs.

Mother to Child = All babies born to HIV infected parents either carry their mother's HIV antibodies, or the HIV virus itself. Transmission can occur in the developing fetus, during delivery, or during breast feeding. After 18 months, the babies immune system will either get rid of the HIV antibodies or the baby will test positive and become clinically sick.