HIV Information

How HIV is Transmitted

HIV is transmitted through specific body fluids from a person with HIV who has a detectable viral load. These fluids include:

• Blood
• Semen (including pre-seminal fluid)
• Vaginal fluids
• Rectal fluids
• Breast milk

The most common ways HIV is transmitted are:

• Having anal or vaginal sex without prevention methods with a person who has HIV and is not virally suppressed.
• Sharing needles, syringes, or other injection drug equipment.
• From a parent with HIV to their baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. With appropriate medical care and treatment, the risk of perinatal transmission is less than 1%.
• Occupational exposure to infected blood or other potentially infectious body fluids (rare).

Today, the U.S. blood supply and donated organs are routinely screened for HIV, making transmission through blood transfusions or organ transplantation extremely rare.

How HIV is NOT Transmitted

HIV is not spread through casual contact. It cannot be transmitted by:

• Saliva, tears, sweat, urine, or feces (unless visibly contaminated with blood under extremely unusual circumstances)
• Mosquitoes, ticks, or other insects
• Animal bites
• Sharing food or beverages
• Sharing toilets, telephones, clothing, eating utensils, or drinking glasses
• Hugging, shaking hands, touching, or closed-mouth kissing
• Swimming pools, schools, workplaces, gyms, churches, or other public places

Reducing Your Risk of HIV

• Get tested regularly and know your HIV status.
• Use condoms correctly and consistently during sex.
• Consider Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) if you may be at increased risk for HIV. PrEP is a safe and highly effective medication that can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed.
• If you think you were recently exposed to HIV, seek Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) immediately. PEP must be started within 72 hours of a possible exposure.
• Never share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment.

If you have HIV, take HIV medicine as prescribed. People who achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit HIV (U=U).

HIV Testing

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Many people with HIV have no symptoms for years, so routine testing is an important part of maintaining their health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 13% of people with HIV in the United States are unaware they have the virus. Early diagnosis allows people to begin treatment sooner, improve their health, and prevent transmission to others.

CDC recommends:

• Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should be tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care.
• People with ongoing risk factors should be tested at least annually, and some individuals may benefit from more frequent testing.

Early Symptoms of HIV

Some people develop flu-like symptoms 2–4 weeks after acquiring HIV, while others may have no symptoms.

Possible early symptoms include:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Rash
• Muscle or joint aches
• Night sweats
• Mouth ulcers
• Chills
• Fatigue

These symptoms are not unique to HIV and can occur with many other illnesses. The only way to know your HIV status is through testing.

Learn more about HIV testing, prevention, and treatment from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).