How Do You Catch HIV?
If I'm a mom, can I pass it to my baby?
If you're infected with HIV, you can pass it to your child during pregnancy or while you're giving birth.
You can also infect your baby if you breastfeed.
Is it risky to hug someone who's infected?
No. HIV is only spread through body fluids. So you can't get it from hugging or shaking hands.
What about drinking out of the same glass?
That's not a problem. Sharing dishes, glasses, and eating utensils is safe.
Can I get it from eating food prepared by a person with HIV?
Probably not. The virus isn't normally passed through food. Even if there are traces of blood or semen in it, you're not likely to catch it. That's because the virus doesn't live long outside the body. It also can't survive the cooking process or coming into contact with your stomach acid.
Passing HIV through food has happened only in rare cases, when children ate food that was already chewed by someone with the virus.
Can I pick up HIV from toilet seats or drinking from a public water fountain?
You don't have to be concerned about this. HIV can't be passed in these ways.
Can I get it from mosquitoes or ticks?
Cross this off your list of worries. It isn't spread through insects.
What if I touch someone's tears, sweat, vomit, or urine?
You won't get HIV this way. The virus isn't spread through sweat or tears.
There have been no reported cases of HIV from vomit or urine.
Can I get it if someone with HIV coughs or sneezes on me?
No, you don't have to worry about that because the virus isn't passed through air.
Let's say I touch someone with HIV who has an open wound. Can I catch the virus?
It's possible, but not likely. Body fluids like blood can pass through broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes. Still, it's very rare.
Is there a risk if someone with HIV bites, scratches, or spits on me?
It's possible to get the virus from a bite, but it's extremely rare. If it doesn't break your skin, there's no risk.
How Do You Catch HIV?
In this article
If I'm a mom, can I pass it to my baby?
If you're infected with HIV, you can pass it to your child during pregnancy or while you're giving birth.
You can also infect your baby if you breastfeed.
Is it risky to hug someone who's infected?
No. HIV is only spread through body fluids. So you can't get it from hugging or shaking hands.
What about drinking out of the same glass?
That's not a problem. Sharing dishes, glasses, and eating utensils is safe.
Can I get it from eating food prepared by a person with HIV?
Probably not. The virus isn't normally passed through food. Even if there are traces of blood or semen in it, you're not likely to catch it. That's because the virus doesn't live long outside the body. It also can't survive the cooking process or coming into contact with your stomach acid.
Passing HIV through food has happened only in rare cases, when children ate food that was already chewed by someone with the virus.
Can I pick up HIV from toilet seats or drinking from a public water fountain?
You don't have to be concerned about this. HIV can't be passed in these ways.
Can I get it from mosquitoes or ticks?
Cross this off your list of worries. It isn't spread through insects.
What if I touch someone's tears, sweat, vomit, or urine?
You won't get HIV this way. The virus isn't spread through sweat or tears.
There have been no reported cases of HIV from vomit or urine.
Can I get it if someone with HIV coughs or sneezes on me?
No, you don't have to worry about that because the virus isn't passed through air.
Let's say I touch someone with HIV who has an open wound. Can I catch the virus?
It's possible, but not likely. Body fluids like blood can pass through broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes. Still, it's very rare.
Is there a risk if someone with HIV bites, scratches, or spits on me?
It's possible to get the virus from a bite, but it's extremely rare. If it doesn't break your skin, there's no risk.