So how does a person get HIV?

HIV infection isn't like a cold or the flu. Precaution actions like washing hand oftrn, covering your sneezes and the like will not protect you from getting the HIV virus. A person cannot get HIV by hugging or holding the hand of, sitting together at a place of worship, selling at the market, sharing a school bus or classroom with, or visiting the home of someone who has HIV.

HIV is passed only through direct contact with another person's body fluids, such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. In many developed nations, transmissions via blood transfusion is very small because of rigorous blood screening and testing.


The majority of people get infected with HIV by sexual activity, which is the main cause of HIV transmission.

Having sexual contact with a person who has HIV. This also includes men that have sex with men (Gays). In fact, research confirms that all forms of sex, anal, vaginal, oral and even sharing sex toys can highly transmit the virus.

Sharing of contaminated injection equipment, tattooing,
skin-piercing tools and surgical equipment.

An infected pregnant woman passes it to her unborn child. "An effective programme, supported by UNICEF and its partners, is preventing transmission of the virus from HIV-positive mothers to their children, a critical measure in ensuring an AIDS-free generation".

A person has a blood transfusion.

In a recent report by the UN, 2.3 million people are newly infected by HIV each year, with 1.6 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa.



Source 1 and 2: The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, United
Nations, 2013http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/Goal_6_fs.pdf