HIV Consultant

No one has ever gotten HIV through casual kissing, such as between parents and children. It is possible, but extremely unlikely, for HIV to be passed during “deep kissing.” There has been just one reported case of this kind: a woman became infected through deep kissing with a man with AIDS whose gums often bled after brushing and lossing his teeth; after this activity, the couple often engaged in deep kissing and protected sex. Although HIV transmission most likely occurred during deep kissing, it was probably the blood in the man’s mouth, not his saliva, which transmitted HIV. Both the man and the woman had gum disease that may also have contributed to the woman becoming infected. It is important to note that in this situation, HIV is not passed through saliva, but rather through direct blood-to-blood contact.

Woman-to-woman sexual transmission of HIV is rare, but it is possible. Women who have sex with women are at risk for HIV infection if they share needles to inject drugs or if they have unprotected sexual contact that results in blood-to-blood exposure. Women who have sex with women can reduce their risk of getting HIV by:

• not injecting drugs, or by not sharing needles, syringes, or works if they do use drugs; and

• using a dental dam (a thin, square piece of latex), a non-lubricated condom that is cut open, or a plastic wrap as a barrier during oral sex. HIV transmission could potentially occur if vaginal secretions or menstrual blood enters open sores or cuts in or around the mouth, such as those caused by canker sores or blisters, vigorous teeth brushing or lossing, or some form of trauma. This could allow for the exchange of potentially infected blood or body luids.

HIV (Human Immunodeiciency Virus) is a virus. You may hear that someone is HIV infected, has HIV infection, or has HIV disease. These are all terms that mean the person has HIV in his or her body and can pass the virus to other people.

HIV attacks the body’s immune system. The immune system protects the body from infections and disease, but has no clear way to protect it from HIV. Without treatment, most people infected with HIV become less able to ight off the germs that we are exposed to every day. Many of these germs do not usually make a healthy person sick, but they can cause life-threatening infections and cancers in a person whose immune system has been weakened by HIV. HIV treatments can slow this process and allow people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives (see question 66).

People infected with HIV may have no symptoms for ten or more years. They may not know they are infected. An HIV test is the only way to ind out if you have HIV.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deiciency Syndrome) is a late stage of HIV disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person with HIV infection has AIDS when he or she:

• has a CD4 cell count (a way to measure the strength of the immune system) that falls below 200. A normal CD4 cell count is 500 or higher.

OR

• develops any of the speciic, serious conditions – also called AIDS-deining illnesses – that are linked with HIV infection (see Appendix for a list of these conditions).

HIV is spread when infected blood, semen, vaginal luids, or breast milk gets into the bloodstream of another person through:

• direct entry into a blood vessel;

• mucous linings, such as the vagina, rectum, penis, mouth, eyes, or nose; or

• a break in the skin.

HIV is not spread through saliva (spit).

HIV is spread in the following ways:

You can only get HIV if infected blood, semen, vaginal luids, or breast milk gets into your body.

• Having vaginal, anal, or oral sex without using a condom.

• Sharing needles, syringes, or works to inject drugs, vitamins, hormones, steroids, or medicines.

• Women with HIV infection can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding.

• People who are exposed to blood and/or body luids at work, like health care workers, may be exposed to HIV through needle-sticks or other on-the-job exposures.

HIV is spread during vaginal sex when HIV-infected semen, vaginal luid, or menstrual blood comes into contact with the mucous membranes of the vagina or penis. In general, since there is more mucous membrane area in the vagina, and a greater possibility of small cuts in the vagina, women are more likely than men to get infected with HIV through unprotected vaginal sex. Teenagers and women entering menopause are at especially high risk for getting HIV (and other sexually transmitted diseases) because the tissue lining the vagina is more fragile at these ages. Cuts or sores on the penis or vagina raise the risk of HIV infection during vaginal sex for both men and women. Using a male latex condom or a female condom lowers your risk of getting HIV through vaginal sex

Your health care provider is required to offer HIV testing to all persons between the ages of 13 and 64, regardless of apparent risk. You are strongly encouraged to accept testing; it may provide you with important information about your health and staying healthy. These are important points to know about HIV testing:

• HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It can be spread through unprotected sex

(vaginal, anal, or oral sex) with someone who has HIV; contact with HIV-infected blood by sharing needles (piercing, tattooing, drug equipment, including needles); by HIV-infected pregnant women to their infants during pregnancy or delivery, or by breastfeeding.

• There are treatments for HIV/AIDS that can help a person stay healthy.

• People with HIV/AIDS can use safe practices to protect others from becoming infected. Safe practices also protect people with HIV/AIDS from being infected with different strains of HIV.

• Testing is voluntary and can be done without giving your name at a public testing center (anonymous testing).

• By law, HIV test results and other related information are kept conidential

(private).

• Discrimination based on a person’s HIV status is illegal. People who are discriminated against can get help.

• Consent for HIV-related testing remains in effect until it is withdrawn verbally or in writing. If the consent was given for a speciic period of time, the consent applies to that time period only. Persons may withdraw their consent at any time.