Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a virus that, without treatment, will ultimately lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. HIV damages the immune system by destroying specific blood cells known as CD4+ T cells, which are critical to helping fight diseases. The disease progresses from the HIV to AIDS stage when a person's CD4 levels drop below a certain level, exposing him to multiple infections and cancers. Nearly 40 million people have HIV worldwide, according to MayoClinic.com. Understanding ways of transmitting HIV and AIDS is a critical part of prevention.
Sexual Relations
Most people in the U.S. get HIV and AIDS through sex with an infected partner, according to MayoClinic.com. This is because HIV is present in blood, semen and vaginal secretions. Vaginal, anal and oral sex can all lead to HIV transmission and ultimately AIDS; anal sex is riskier, however, because the anus lining is more delicate than that of the vagina and is more likely to become damaged during sex.
Oral sex carries a smaller risk of infection. Abstaining from sexual intercourse is the only way to prevent sexual HIV transmission, but AIDS educators recommend condom use for those who choose to have sex as latex can serve as a protective barrier.
Infected Needles
HIV can be easily transmitted through needles and syringes contaminated with infected blood. This can occur during intravenous drug use, unsterilized tattoo or piercing equipment and even accidental needle sticks in health care environments. Thanks to careful protocol, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims the risk for health care workers is low, and international AIDS charity AVERT estimates that accidental needle stick transmission accounts for fewer than 1 percent of all HIV cases. People who get tattoos and piercings can avoid HIV transmission by going to establishments that follow government regulations regarding hygiene and equipment sterilization.
Mother to Child Transmission
More than 9,000 children have contracted AIDS since 1985, according to the March of Dimes, and of these, more than 90 percent contracted the virus from their mothers in utero, during childbirth, or through breast feeding. According to American Pregnancy, recent or advanced HIV infection or malnutrition can compromise a mother’s health and increase the risk of HIV transmission. If the mother is undergoing HIV drug treatment, however, it can significantly reduce the chances of HIV crossing the placenta and causing infection.
Infected Blood
Although rare in the U.S., HIV transmission through infected blood and blood products is possible. U.S. hospitals and blood banks have stringent procedures in place to screen candidates and the blood supply, which has virtually eliminated this mode of transmission. Testing is not as effective in some developing countries, according to the MayoClinic.com, so there is a higher risk of contracting HIV and subsequently AIDS from tainted blood in some countries outside of the U.S.
