HIV Transmission – All the Facts
posted: 14/04/2010
Clear, full, accurate information about HIV transmission can be hard to find. Even recent ‘official’ sources may mislead. For example, one NW England council’s HIV guide for schools suggests HIV transmission could happen at school.
While almost anything could happen at any school, HIV transmission is exceptionally unlikely, without risky sex - and that is not part of the curriculum. Suggesting HIV transmission could happen at school is unhelpful and tends to increase anxiety and feed HIV stigma.
HIV transmission without sex, without injecting drug use, or without mother to baby transmission is exceptionally rare. Of over 34,000 HIV diagnoses in the UK from the beginning of the epidemic to 1997, only 19 happened in non-sexual 'unusual circumstances' . Most of these ‘unusual’ transmissions were at clinics abroad, where infection control procedures were slack.
Everything you ever wanted to know about HIV transmission but were afraid to ask
Visit the HIV transmission section of the NAM / aidsmap website for detailed information on subjects including co-factors that affect transmission, viral load and risk of transmission, and protective measures.
NAM also produce a comprehensive book, HIV Transmission & Testing, available from their online bookshop.
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