HIV Transmission
Frequently Asked Questions

How is HIV transmitted?
Which sexual activities will put me at risk?
Can I get AIDS from oral sex?

HOW IS HIV TRANSMITTED?
HIV is transmitted by five body fluids: Blood, Semen, Pre-Ejaculatory Fluid or "Pre-cum", Vaginal Secretions, and Nursing Mother's Breast Milk. These fluids must come into contact with a portal of entry such as a mucous membrane (tip of the penis, mouth, vagina, etc.) or a cut in the skin. HIV can not pass through intact skin.

HIV is only transmitted by behaviors which allow such direct contact with these fluids. Specifically, by sharing hypodermic needles to shoot drugs (this includes skin popping, and the sharing of syringes, cookers and drug use "works"); receiving infected blood, plasma, or body part; and sexual intercourse or other sexual activities.

Anytime you have direct contact with these risky fluids, you may have been "exposed" to HIV. Should the virus find a portal of entry into your blood stream in sufficient amounts, you may be infected with HIV.

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WHICH SEXUAL ACTIVITIES WILL PUT ME AT RISK?
Any activity where a portal of entry (mouth, tip of the penis, vagina) comes into direct contact with any one or combination of the high-risk fluids. It is recommended that any sexual intercourse (including oral and anal sex) be done with a barrier (such as a condom) between partners to guard both people from risky contact.

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CAN I GET AIDS FROM ORAL SEX?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions about transmission. Like all sexual activity, oral sex carries some risk, particularly when one partner or the other is known to be infected with HIV, when either partner's HIV status is not known, and/or when one or the other partner is not monogamous or injects drugs. Numerous studies have demonstrated that oral sex can result in the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Abstaining from oral, anal, and vaginal sex all together or having sex only with a mutually monogamous, uninfected partner are the only ways that individuals can be completely protected from the sexual transmission of HIV.

Measuring the exact risk of HIV transmission as a result of oral sex is very difficult. Since most sexually active individuals practice oral sex in addition to other forms of sex, such as vaginal and/or anal sex, when transmission occurs, it is difficult to determine whether or not it occurred as a result of oral sex or other more risky sexual activities. Finally, several co-factors can increase the risk of HIV transmission through oral sex, including: oral ulcers, bleeding gums, genital sores, and the presence of other STDs.

For more information, visit the CDC HIV/AIDS Fact Sheets

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If you live in Florida and you have further questions about HIV transmission, or if you need a referral to a test site or other service, please call the Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline or send a trained counselor an email.

If you live outside of Florida, visit The Body to find an AIDS hotline near you.