HIV can be passed on through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk. The most common ways HIV is passed on are:
- Sex without a condom with someone living with HIV
- Sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment
- From an HIV-positive mother (to her child) during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding
Oral sex carries a much lower risk than penetrative sex, but HIV can still be passed on through cuts, gum problems or ulcers in the mouth if they come into contact with infected bodily fluids.
No. HIV cannot be passed on through:
- Kissing or touching
- Spitting, coughing or sneezing
- Toilet seats, swimming pools, or shared facilities or utensils
Yes. HIV can be passed from mother to child, but there are steps that can be taken to reduce the possibility of the child contracting HIV to less than one per cent, including giving the mother and child antiretroviral HIV drugs, delivering the child by Caesarean and not breastfeeding the baby. Learn more about HIV and pregnancy.
If you are sexually active or share needles you could be at risk from getting HIV. Although anyone can become infected, some communities in the UK have higher rates of infection, such as homosexual and bisexual men and Black African men and women.
Always use a condom when having vaginal or anal sex. You also may want to use a condom or dental dam during oral sex although the risk of transmission of HIV is much lower. Always use a condom that carries the European CE safety mark. You can get free condoms from a family planning or sexual health clinic, which you can locate at www.fpa.org.uk/finder/. Never share needles, syringes or any other injecting equipment.
If you think you have placed yourself at risk from infection by HIV you can ask for a free and confidential test at your local sexual health clinic, which you can locate at www.fpa.org.uk/finder/.
If you are within 72 hours of an incident of possible exposure to HIV, ask for PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) treatment from a sexual health clinic or at your nearest hospital accident and emergency department. The sooner treatment is begun the higher the probability the treatment will be effective. Find out more about PEP at www.tht.org.uk/pep.
