What are the ways in which HIV infection is not transmitted? Attention danger: methods of transmission and ways of contracting HIV infection

People in their attitude towards HIV infection can be divided into two groups: those who do not consider HIV a problem, continuing their normal way of life, and those who are overly worried about their safety and are influenced by the flow of information flowing from the media and other sources. Both one group and the other are not doing the right thing, because the infection has already been well studied today, and experts can accurately say where the risk of infection is possible and where it is not. You should understand how HIV infection is and is not transmitted in order to protect yourself from possible problems and not worry your nerves again.

In the body of a patient who is infected with HIV, enough of the virus to infect another person is found in breast milk, vaginal secretions, semen and blood. It is through these pathways that HIV infection can enter the body of a healthy person. How is the virus transmitted through sweat, saliva, urine, feces? No way. There are only three routes of transmission: sexual, vertical and parenteral.

Properties of HIV

HIV belongs to the group of unstable viruses and can die under the direct influence of ether, acetone or alcohol. The virus, located on the surface of healthy skin, is destroyed by bacteria and protective enzymes. It is also not inclined to tolerate high temperatures and dies when exposed to 57 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes or when boiled for one minute.

The difficulty in creating a medicine is that the virus is constantly changing.

Development of HIV infection

The body's primary response to virus invasion is to produce antibodies. The period that passes from infection to the moment when active production of antibodies begins can last from three weeks to three months. In some cases, antibodies appear only six months after infection. This period is called the “seroconversion window period.”

The latent or asymptomatic period can last from several months to 15 years. The disease does not manifest itself in any way at this stage. The infectious process develops after an asymptomatic period. The first sign that the disease is progressing is enlarged lymph nodes. Afterwards the AIDS stage develops. The main symptoms of this period are: frequent or constant headache, unmotivated diarrhea, loss of appetite, drowsiness, malaise, fatigue, weight loss. At a later stage, tumors and concomitant infections appear, which are extremely difficult to cure.

The disease is associated with loss of immunity and is life-threatening, so it is important to know how HIV infection is transmitted. Symptoms that may appear after several years are difficult to overcome and return to a normal lifestyle.

Diagnosis of HIV infection

It is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the presence of the virus in the body only by external signs. Here you need to conduct a blood test, which will indicate the presence of viral load and antibodies to HIV. For this purpose, HIV tests, polymer chain reaction, and various rapid tests are carried out. Using this type of research, it is possible to determine the presence of the virus in the blood and the degree of its development.

The test can be done at any healthcare organization. You must first undergo counseling. In case of a positive result, the infected person should be provided, first of all, with emotional and psychological support and information on how to lead a future lifestyle. If the result is negative, then you need to have a conversation with the person about how HIV infection is transmitted in everyday life. This will protect him from the possibility of infection.

Methods of transmission of HIV infection

This question should be of interest to anyone who is concerned about their health. HIV infection is transmitted in only three ways, which are divided into artificial and natural. The first is sexual. The second is vertical. Its essence is that the virus is transmitted directly from mother to child at birth (or to the fetus). These are natural ways.

The third route, which is usually classified as artificial, is parenteral. In the latter case, infection can occur through blood or tissue transfusion, intravenous injections with unsterilized devices. The main condition for infection is the presence of the virus in one person and its absence in another person.

Infection through blood

A person can be infected by 1/10,000 of a milliliter of blood entering the body, which is not visible to the human eye. The incredibly small size of the virus allows 100 thousand particles to fit on a line just 1 cm long. This is also dangerous for HIV infection. How the virus is transmitted through blood can be imagined based on the fact that if even the slightest part of the blood of an infected person enters the blood of a healthy person, then the probability of infection is close to 100 percent. This can happen through donation, with the transfusion of untested donor blood.

HIV infection is transmitted through untreated medical or cosmetic items if they have already been used by an infected person. Most often, such situations occur during ear piercing, tattooing, and piercing in non-specialized salons. Residues of someone else's blood may be invisible and remain even after washing with water. Tools must be treated with special products or alcohol.

Since the HIV epidemic began to spread, the Ministry of Health strictly controls the work of medical staff. This concerns donation, sterilization of the general work of staff. Therefore, it has already been thoroughly studied, so in medical institutions the risk of infection is minimized.

The risk of contracting the virus is high among intravenous drug users through blood-contaminated shared needles, syringes, filters and other drug paraphernalia.

Sexual infection

When talking about how HIV infection and AIDS are transmitted, one cannot fail to mention the most common method - sexually. The virus in the body of an infected person is found in large quantities in vaginal secretions and seminal fluid. Any heterosexual unprotected sexual intercourse can lead to infection, and the focus is the mucous membrane of the genital organs. The fact is that microdamages form on the mucous membrane during sexual intercourse, through which the virus can freely penetrate and from there enter the circulatory system, other organs and tissues. The possibility of contracting the virus increases when you have a promiscuous sex life, when you frequently change sexual partners, when you do not use condoms, and when you have sexual contact with a partner who regularly uses drugs.

There are currently about 30 infections. Many of them contribute to the development of various inflammatory diseases, which can also cause HIV infection. Most infections accompany inflammation and damage to the mucous membrane of the genital organs, which also facilitates the easy penetration of HIV into the body. Sexual intercourse during menstruation is also dangerous for infection. The concentration of the virus is much higher in semen than in vaginal discharge. Therefore, the likelihood of transmitting the virus from woman to man is lower than from man to woman.

Homosexual unprotected contacts are even more dangerous. Due to the fact that the rectal mucosa does not have devices for sexual intercourse, the risk of traumatic injury in this area exceeds the possibility of injury in the vagina. Infection through the anal passage is more realistic due to the fact that it is abundantly supplied with blood. By the way, you can also become infected through oral sex, although the probability here is not as high as in previous cases.

Thus, with any sexual contact, HIV infection can enter the body. How is the virus transmitted and what are the ways to avoid infection? It is enough just to streamline your sex life and use safety precautions.

Infection of a child from the mother

Just a few years ago, this method of infection was very common, and an infected mother could not hope to give birth to a healthy child. There were exceptions, but they were rare. The development of modern medicine today has achieved positive results in reducing the risk of infection of a child from the mother. from mother to fetus or child are as follows: through breast milk during breastfeeding, during childbirth or even during pregnancy. It is extremely difficult to detect at what point the infection occurred, so sick pregnant women need to register as early as possible and monitor the health of their unborn baby.

Possibility of infection at home

Although the risk of contracting HIV in the home is low, it still exists. The most common transmission of infection is through piercing objects. The question of how HIV infection is transmitted in everyday life worries many, especially those who live under the same roof with an infected person.

The virus can be transmitted through (for example, through razors). It is worth remembering that it is impossible to become infected through shared use of a toilet, since the virus is not transmitted through urine and feces, when swimming in a pool, through shared utensils and other household items.

Infection at home often occurs artificially, through damaged skin. If, for example, the blood or mucous secretions of a patient enter the body of a healthy person, then we can already talk about infection.

HIV is not transmitted

The virus is not transmitted through the air (airborne), food, or water. Staying in a room with an infected person also does not pose a threat to a healthy person. The use of household items (dishes, towels, bathtub, swimming pool, linen) also does not pose any danger. The virus is not transmitted through a handshake, kissing, smoking the same cigarette, using the same lipstick or handset. Also, HIV is not transmitted through insect bites or animals.

HIV and AIDS

HIV infection has a destructive effect on the immune system, thereby reducing the body's resistance to various diseases. If in the first period infection may occur imperceptibly and not manifest itself externally, then in subsequent stages the immune system is weakened to such an extent that the body becomes susceptible to any infectious disease. These diseases include those that very rarely affect uninfected people: pneumonia caused by microorganisms, the tumor disease Kaposi's sarcoma.

The condition when a person infected with HIV begins to develop infectious diseases, the cause of which lies in problems of the immune system, is called AIDS.

Prevention of HIV infection

It does not matter how HIV infection is transmitted, what is important is that it is life-threatening to humans. In order not to encounter such a serious problem, it is necessary to lead a correct lifestyle and adhere to the recommendations of doctors.

Among all the methods of combating AIDS, the most effective is HIV prevention. It includes: having only one sexual partner, avoiding sexual contact with drug addicts, prostitutes, as well as with little-known people, avoiding group contacts, and using contraception. These points are extremely important, since HIV infection is most often transmitted sexually through unprotected sex.

For your own safety, you should remember that you do not need to use other people’s personal hygiene items (medical instruments, toothbrushes, razors or razors). Every person has the right to insist that in the office of a cosmetologist, gynecologist, dentist and other specialists they are served with disposable new instruments.

The healthcare sector must periodically carry out preventive measures against AIDS. These include: promotion of protected sex, thorough examination of pregnant women, examination of blood donors and people at risk, control of the birth of children, refusal of infected women to breastfeed their babies.

Prevention within the walls of medical institutions implies: the use of only disposable instruments for treating HIV patients, thorough hand washing after working with an infected patient. It is also necessary to carry out disinfection when the bed, environment or household items are contaminated with secretions and secretions of the patient. It is definitely worth remembering that it is better to prevent a problem than to solve it later, and in this case, than to live with it later.

Treatment of HIV infection

In this case, as in many others, time is counted in days. The earlier the problem is detected, the greater the chance of returning the patient to a normal lifestyle. Treatment for HIV is aimed largely at delaying the development and progression of the virus so that it does not develop into a more serious disease - AIDS. An infected person is immediately prescribed a complex of treatment, which includes: medications that interfere with development and medications that act on the virus directly, interfering with its development and reproduction.

It is difficult to live with a disease such as HIV infection. How it is transmitted, how it develops, how to protect oneself - everyone should know the answers to these questions, because it is unlikely that the patient will be able to lead a normal lifestyle, especially if he learns about the problem several years after infection. Therefore, it is so important to monitor your behavior and take care of your health, because this is the most expensive thing we have, and, unfortunately or fortunately, it cannot be bought with money.

Contrary to popular belief, the principle, , and modes of transmission of AIDS It is incorrect to consider them to be the same mechanism. Moreover, medicine still does not know how to get AIDS without HIV transmission. In the same time, HIV transmission is the first step towards developing a fatal disease.

How do you get infected with HIV and AIDS?

Upon closer inspection routes of HIV infection can be represented in the form of a diagram. HIV is transmitted first, at this moment it is impossible to predict how it will behave in the body. No matter, how is HIV transmitted?, it can, with equal shares of probability, not make itself felt for decades or make its presence known in the very first weeks after implementation. In other words, what is happening is not immediate HIV infection, and inflammatory processes begin to develop as a result of what happened HIV infection.

Infection with AIDS occurs as a result of the further development of inflammatory processes, which can be provoked by any infectious or chronic disease. At such a late stage, it is impossible to prevent death.

How HIV spreads

Although ways to get AIDS have been known for more than thirty years, and research work in this direction continues, the percentage of awareness of ordinary citizens on the issue, How can you become infected with AIDS and HIV?, not high enough. This is perhaps the main reason for the spread of the incurable disease throughout the planet; according to official data alone, more than 40,000,000 carriers of the causative virus have been identified. It is a matter of serious concern that many, unknowingly, how do you get HIV?, do not suspect that they have already passed several stages ways of contracting AIDS or about your involvement in a high-risk group.

Because of the frightening dynamics with which it occurs AIDS transmission, virtually every inhabitant of the Earth is at risk. To the question can an apparently healthy person be infected with HIV?, we can confidently answer in the affirmative. From that moment, how is HIV transmitted through various sources, before the first symptoms appear, the dangerous neighborhood does not affect the well-being of the wearer. Without a comprehensive examination, it is impossible to determine from the appearance of the interlocutor alone could he have become infected with HIV?.

Today, the most reliable prevention is a clear understanding of How can you get HIV infection?, How is HIV transmitted and in what way?.

How can you become infected with AIDS? during sex

Most often HIV infection is transmitted sexually. AIDS, acquired sexually, accounts for up to 80% of all cases of such diseases. HIV is transmitted sexually with promiscuous relationships and the practice of anal sex, microtraumas received during which increase the risk of infection.

Is it easy to get infected with HIV? woman

Should be considered separately how is HIV transmitted sexually women. Due to their anatomical structure, women are more vulnerable, so they should first of all know is AIDS transmitted sexually in order to correctly take care of your safety and give preference to those types of sex in which HIV is not transmitted sexually. It is impossible to predict with certainty can HIV not be transmitted to a partner? However, all available precautions should be taken to reduce the likelihood of infection. Cervical erosion, irritation, inflammation in the vagina or menstruation do methods of transmission of HIV infection more intense.

At the same time, lesbian caresses are recognized as one of the safest sexual pleasures. Theoretically there are routes of transmission of HIV infection from partner to partner. Classifying, what is the most common route of HIV infection? In case of same-sex love, doctors give priority to vibrators, dildos and other toys for adults that penetrate inside. It's easy to imagine how can you get AIDS through these objects: the microcracks they cause in the vagina are potential modes of HIV transmission. Despite the fact that similar routes of HIV infection have not yet been encountered in medical practice, it is advisable to follow the recommendations of specialists, how to avoid getting infected with HIV. There are several known ways how to avoid getting AIDS during joint use: wash surfaces with detergents and, if possible, use a condom.

Preventive measures for men

Despite the fact that the risk of infection for men is much lower than for women, representatives of the stronger sex should also take precautions. Gay people who practice unprotected sex are at greatest risk. It should be remembered that the presence of concomitant infectious diseases greatly increases the likelihood of infection.

The possibility of infection is no less high when using drugs together through a needle. A similar incident can occur in a medical institution due to the negligence of employees. Blood transfusion is recognized as the most dangerous procedure: if the donor is infected, the chances of avoiding infection are extremely small. To reduce the risk as much as possible, donors are 100% screened before donating blood. There are isolated cases of illness among health workers who, on duty, come into contact with AIDS and HIV-infected patients. Theoretically, there is a possibility of getting the virus in a tattoo and piercing salon or in a hairdresser, or when using someone else's razor.

Proper sanitization of medical and cosmetic instruments, keeping personal hygiene products clean, and using a condom are the basic rules of prevention. A shared shower, sauna or swimming pool, shared feast, hugs and handshakes do not pose a threat.

Is it possible to become infected with HIV? through kissing and oral sex

Many people are interested in the following nuance: is HIV transmitted sexually during oral sex. Sexual transmission of HIV during oral sex, it is possible if there are microcracks in the oral cavity. For the receiving party, the more pressing question is: How does HIV infection occur?. You can get infected with HIV when bleeding wounds or ulcers come into contact with sperm containing viruses. Throughout the entire history of observations, how can you become infected with HIV, isolated cases of such infections have been recorded. Using a condom eliminates the risk of infection completely.

Usually, HIV is not transmitted through kisses. In any case, precautions must be taken during questionable contacts: modes of transmission of AIDS are in many ways similar to infection with other, even less dangerous and relatively easily curable diseases, transmitted in the same way as HIV, sexually. Herpes, damage to the oral mucosa and rashes of various origins are quite common ways to get infected with HIV.

When asked whether it is possible not to become infected from an HIV-infected person, experts answer in the affirmative. Traditional methods of protection prevent HIV transmission routes. Almost everything How can you get AIDS?, successfully blocks the condom. One thing is alarming: no is HIV transmitted? through latex pores, the diameter of which sometimes exceeds the microscopic size of the virus. If the condom is not damaged during sexual intercourse, HIV -infection is transmitted through a condom in such small quantities that it cannot become a pathogen.

Methods of contracting HIV infection when manipulating blood

Uncontrolled sexual intercourse in the absence of proper hygiene is not the only methods of HIV infection. Today it is widely known that HIV is transmitted through blood. In medical institutions and beauty salons, where sanitary standards are strictly observed, HIV - infection cannot be contracted. Unfortunately, regular training of employees how HIV is transmitted from person to person, does not provide a 100% guarantee that all instructions will be followed, and news reports, How do you get AIDS? in clinics and nail salons, occur periodically. Considering the unfavorable epidemiological situation and how does HIV spread?, doctors recommend limiting such procedures to only the necessary minimum in order to reduce the main routes of transmission of HIV infection.

If the patient's blood comes into contact with intact skin, there is a possibility how to get infected with HIV, tends to zero.

How does AIDS get infected? with self-injections

Persons who inject drugs are well aware that is HIV transmitted through blood?, which, however, does not prevent them from neglecting basic rules, such as the inadmissibility of repeated use of a disposable syringe or sanitizing a common medical instrument before use.

How can you become infected with HIV? newborn

Expectant parents should know how HIV infection is transmitted to a newborn. HIV is transmitted from an infected mother in the following ways:

• in the first trimester of intrauterine development is transmitted HIV through the placenta, which is not yet formed enough to fully perform protective functions;
• directly during childbirth when passing through the birth canal, where blood accumulates in large quantities;
• During lactation, breast milk is the product what can you get HIV from?.

Probability, Is it possible to infect a child with HIV through blood?, accounts for approximately 25% of the total number of births among carriers of the virus. Number of hazardous factors How can you get infected with HIV?, can be reduced by 5–11% if you follow the recommendations of the supervising doctor, how HIV is not transmitted. A special surveillance program has been developed for infected pregnant women, including antiviral therapy.

Caesarean section reduces the risk How do you get HIV infection? newborns, another 15%. Since the milk of an infected mother represents another source, how can HIV be transmitted For an infant, it makes sense to immediately transfer the baby to artificial feeding. Thus, the known paths How is HIV transmitted?, can be minimized.

How is HIV infection transmitted in the home?

Among the quite numerous ways, how to get infected with HIV, there are a number of household hazards. At the same time, understanding the basic principles how is HIV transmitted from person to person? to a person, allows many families to live side by side with an infected person without risk to themselves. If you have to deal with a patient, it is important to know how not to get infected with HIV And How can you become infected with HIV at home?.

There is an opinion that AIDS is transmitted by airborne droplets. Unlike a number of infectious diseases, the possibility of infection through the air is excluded. There are no objective reasons to worry Is HIV transmitted by airborne droplets? or Is AIDS transmitted through airborne droplets?: for thirty years not a single similar case has been recorded.

Food and water

No less frequently asked questions can you get AIDS through food? or is HIV transmitted through water?. The saliva of an infected person contains an insufficient percentage of viruses for HIV to be transmitted through it in everyday life. Worry about Is it possible to get HIV through drinking?, is HIV transmitted through food? or shared utensils has no basis. And also no need to worry, Is it possible to get infected with HIV through eating blood? or through the bite of a patient: these options are not among the methods how to get AIDS.

The aquatic environment is, in principle, unsuitable for viruses to live in; they die instantly when they find themselves in it. It is almost impossible to become infected when using a shared bathroom, shower, swimming pool, or visiting a bathhouse or sauna. Theoretically, infection should not occur if you have unprotected sex in water.

Personal belongings and body contact

Some personal hygiene items, such as a manicure set, razor, toothbrush, are an exception, as they involve contact with blood. Sharing such personal items is in any case unwise: we should not forget that the human body is inhabited by many other bacteria.

It is quite natural to want to know the complete list, how can you get infected with HIV: is it possible to get infected with HIV through urine, is HIV transmitted through semen, breast milk, tears, sweat and other secretions of the human body. Tears, sweat and urine are not habitats for the virus. How can you get HIV? in contact with sperm, should be examined more closely. If the skin or mucous membrane is not damaged, neither sperm, nor even blood, where the concentration is much higher, will cause harm. Droplets on personal hygiene items also do not pose a risk to the health of others.

In the same context it should be considered Is HIV transmitted through everyday contact? with handshakes, hugs and other touches. In order for transmission to occur, healthy and infected people must come into close contact with wounds on the body, provided that there are any. If the places of the cuts do not coincide or do not touch tightly enough, infection will not occur. The likelihood of such a coincidence is extremely low.

Pseudoscience horror stories

Another very popular myth is that How can you become infected with HIV at home?. Many believe that the cause of the fatal disease can be the bite of a carrier: an animal or a blood-sucking insect. To dispel this misconception, it is enough to decipher the abbreviation: human immunodeficiency virus. Not an animal or an insect. Once in a foreign organism, the virus immediately dies.

Finally, it remains to dispel urban horror stories about infected vigilantes who stab passers-by with needles contaminated with their own blood, and drug addicts scattering syringes on playgrounds. If we assume that the patient has just removed the needle from his vein and immediately stuck it into the victim’s body, the probability of infection is no more than 20%. The more seconds the needle dries in the open air, the more confidently this figure comes down to 0.03%.

There are many options on how to avoid contracting AIDS and HIV under any circumstances. It should be noted that a virus that poses a mortal danger is, in turn, also very vulnerable. It is killed by water, air, temperature fluctuations, and unfavorable environments. Compliance with moral and hygienic standards, refusal of questionable surgical and cosmetic interventions will help reduce the risk of infection.

The immunodeficiency virus became known to humans in 1981. Since that time, HIV has spread throughout the planet. The annual number of infected people is more than 2,000,000 people, the same figure shows the mortality rate from AIDS.

The reasons for the development of HIV infection (AIDS) and the route of transmission of the unfortunate disease are the first things that humanity had to learn about when encountering this insidious disease. Let's talk about the essentials in more detail.

Whatever the cause of the disease, the main routes of HIV infection come down to an infected person experiencing any of the stages of HIV infection, not excluding the incubation period.

The most likely way to become infected with HIV is at the end of the incubation period (when enough antibodies to the virus begin to be produced), as well as during the initial symptoms and late stage of the disease.

How is AIDS transmitted? How does infection enter the human body? The process is preceded by certain factors that contribute to infection, after which the membranes of the recipient face accept biological material containing the pathogenic virus.

AIDS virus

Before discussing the topic of transmission of infection in detail, it is worth understanding the unjustifiably identified terms. What is HIV and AIDS? Let us immediately define the concepts mentioned. Human immunodeficiency virus is an infection that attacks the human immune system. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS is the period of this infectious process or the final stage of the disease, which leads to the death of the patient.

So, the routes of transmission of HIV infection, like AIDS, come down to two main directions:

• parenteral(via the blood of an infected person). A person becomes infected through injection of infected narcotic components, use of used syringes and needles, blood transfusion of a patient, as well as through the use of untreated instruments for hygiene measures;
• sexual. A person becomes infected through sexual intercourse with an infected person.

Attention! You should not try to identify symptoms and clinical signs in an infected person immediately after the suspected infection. The clinical picture appears only in the final stage of the incubation period (after several months). During this period, somatic cells begin to produce antibodies.

In addition to the above-mentioned routes, there is a method of vertical transmission of HIV infection. We are talking about the case of intrauterine infection of a child (during pregnancy, childbirth) or during breastfeeding.

Let's talk about each route of infection in more detail.

Routes of transmission of HIV infection: “breaking it down”

All registered cases of virus infection in the world, depending on the routes of HIV transmission, are ranked in the following percentage:

• sexual intimacy – 70-80%;
• injection of narcotic drugs – 5-10%;
• infection of medical personnel – less than 0.01%;
• patient blood transfusion – 3-5%;
• during pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding – 5-10%.

Let's focus on an obviously popular case. The largest percentage of the virus is found in seminal fluid and vaginal secretions.

Interesting! The concentration of pathogenic microorganisms in semen is significantly higher than in vaginal secretions. Therefore, the risk of HIV transmission from women to men is lower than in the opposite case.

During unprotected sexual intercourse, the role of the focus of infection is assumed by the mucous membrane of the genitals. How is the virus transmitted to a partner during sex? Sexual intercourse entails the formation of microdamages on mucous tissues. These wounds act as conductors of the virus to the human circulatory system.

The background development of any type of STD in the body can aggravate the situation: the ongoing inflammatory process injures the mucous membrane and often acts as the root cause of infection.

Homosexual intimacy without using a condom is even more dangerous. The mechanism of transmission of HIV infection in this case is significantly simplified. The fact is that the mucous membrane of the genital intestine is not adapted to sex - the risk of microtrauma increases along with the likelihood of infection. Infection through the anus is also more likely because the anus is most actively supplied with blood.

Let's move on to an alternative method of transmitting the virus. It should immediately be noted that in the case of blood, the situation becomes unambiguous: the probability of infection when the blood of a patient and a healthy person comes into contact is equal to 100%. This can happen, for example, with donation.

Interesting! 1/10,000 ml of blood, which cannot be seen by the human eye, can provoke infection. The size of the virus is negligible: 100,000 pathogenic particles can fit in an area of ​​1 cm.

The above-mentioned fact explains the high risk of contracting AIDS during any type of medical and cosmetic procedures. Most often this happens during the process of piercing the earlobes and applying a tattoo. The remains of the infected biomaterial remain invisible on the instrument and, in the absence of appropriate treatment (with alcohol or special means), penetrate into the recipient’s body.

As for infection of medical workers, the prevailing proportion of cases are due to unsuccessful manipulations with the needle. The other half of those infected experienced the disease as a result of the patient’s blood or a concentrated solution of the virus coming into contact with the affected areas of the skin.

Can you get infected with HIV orally?

The question is controversial. Experts say that the risk of contracting AIDS during oral sex is small. Information from heterosexual studies conducted in Spain is provided as a scientific basis. Partners with opposite HIV statuses were studied. As a result, 9,000 acts of oral sex did not result in a single infection.

If HIV infection is transmitted through seminal fluid and vaginal secretions, it is logical to assume that the act of oral sex should not be completed by ejaculation. In some cases, the risk of infection increases if there are wounds in the partner’s mouth.

The risk of infection during cunnilingus is practically zero. However, taking into account the possible ways of spreading the infection, it is worth noting: the most favorable set of circumstances is observed only in the absence of menstrual flow in an HIV-infected woman at the time of oral sex.

Attention! The minimum percentage of cases of AIDS infection during oral sex does not relieve partners from responsibility. Oral sexual intercourse cannot be completely excluded from the list of methods of HIV transmission.

Is HIV transmitted through oral sex: let's look at the statistics

According to statistics, sexually transmitted infections, including AIDS, can overtake a person through unprotected oral sex. Oral sex with a man faces the “receiving” party with a risk of infection equal to approximately 0.04% (data given taking into account the release of sperm at the end of the act).

The probability of infection of the “introducer” is close to zero. Why? The male genital organ comes into contact only with the saliva of his partner, unless, of course, an alternative infectious medium is present - blood from open wounds in the mouth.

Is HIV transmitted through a condom?

The risk of contracting AIDS when having sex with a condom is almost zero. This statement is true only if the barrier contraceptive is used correctly.

If a condom is not used correctly, the likelihood of it breaking, falling off, and at the same time becoming infected with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome increases.

Is HIV transmitted through kissing?

A small percentage of the virus is present in the salivary fluid of an infected person. However, after 15 years of research, scientists came to the conclusion: the likelihood of transmitting infection through a kiss is negligible. The virus can be transmitted to a man or woman during a kiss only if there are bleeding lesions in the oral cavity.

How is HIV 100% not transmitted through a kiss - you ask. A kiss on the cheek, a simple kiss on the lips (excluding contact with the partner’s mucous membranes) will definitely not cause AIDS infection.

Is HIV transmitted through saliva?

Saliva, just like sweat and tears, contains very few viral particles. How can one become infected with HIV through this biological material? You will have to collect at least 2 liters of sweat, a bath of saliva and tears to ensure a real risk of infection. Therefore, saliva cannot be considered a complete medium for transmission of the virus.

Attention! HIV is not transmitted through saliva, however, in this way you can “catch” herpes, syphilis and a number of other serious diseases.

Is HIV transmitted through handshakes or hugs?

The intact surface of the skin is a natural barrier to this infection. Therefore, it is impossible to contract AIDS from a handshake or hug.

What about scratches and abrasions? To ensure even the smallest risk of infection, it is necessary that a large amount of blood (saliva, urine, tears) be in the area of ​​​​a fresh bleeding wound. Considering the fact described above, the possibility of transmitting HIV in this way can be completely excluded.

How is HIV infection transmitted at home?

The question of the possibility of transmission of the virus in domestic conditions worried scientists and doctors in various countries several decades ago. Today professionals have reached a consensus. They found that infection through household means is almost impossible.

A similar conclusion was reached after studying the behavior of viral particles outside the inhabited organism of the infected person. Scientists have determined the virus's susceptibility to oxygen. This means that the pathogenic molecule dies outside its habitat and is not capable of infection.

Is HIV transmitted through personal hygiene items?

In general, HIV infection is not transmitted in everyday life through personal hygiene items. The judgment is true in the case of shared utensils, a comb and other items that exclude prior contact with the patient’s infected material (blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk).

Razor, toothbrush - is there a risk of infection?

The most likely case of household infection with the virus is through shaving accessories. For example, if an infected person is injured while shaving, and after a short period of time another family member with a bleeding scratch or abrasion on the body uses his razor, there is a risk of contracting HIV.

A similar parallel can be drawn in the case of a toothbrush. Saliva is practically safe in this regard, but bleeding gums are not.

Attention! The most reliable way to prevent infection is to use personal hygiene products.

How do you get infected in a bath or swimming pool?

The risk of contracting HIV in a bath, swimming pool, or sauna is minimal. The fact is that biological materials with a high concentration of the virus (blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk) are neutralized upon contact with water (the virus quickly dies). In addition, the skin is the most resistant barrier to infection.

How can you get HIV infected in such a place? No matter how trivial it may sound, the only way to become infected in a bathhouse, sauna or swimming pool is through intimate relations without a condom.

Can you get infected with HIV through the air?

Is HIV transmitted through airborne droplets? In contrast to various viral infections, HIV is not transmitted through air or water. This statement is confirmed by the fact that viral particles lose their vital activity upon contact with oxygen. Even at the last stage of the disease (AIDS), the infection is not transmitted by airborne droplets. This means that if you are in the same room as someone who is sick, you should not fear for your own health.

Is infection possible from insect bites?

At the moment, the role of insects as carriers of the virus has not been confirmed. This fact is explained by the inability of particles to multiply in the body of mosquitoes, midges, and ticks. The likelihood that the virus will end up on damaged skin and mucous membranes due to an insect carrying particles on its sting or trunk is minimal.

Who is at risk?

Among the people who, for one reason or another, are most susceptible to contracting AIDS:

• people who are promiscuous (through biological fluids: vaginal discharge, sperm);
• persons who take injecting drugs (infection can occur when using one syringe or needle);
• gay men (during anal contact);
• persons who are addicted to unprotected sexual intercourse (any of its varieties);
• people who received a blood transfusion from another (who turned out to be infected) person;
• children of sick mothers;
• those suffering from sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, etc.);
• workers of medical institutions (if sanitary and hygienic standards are not observed when in contact with a patient, when manipulating syringes and needles);
• beauty specialists (manicure, pedicure, tattoo, etc.). Infection occurs as a result of damage to the skin or mucous membranes.

Theoretically, absolutely anyone who neglects preventive measures can become infected with AIDS from a patient.

Is HIV transmitted to a child?

As research data demonstrate, a child can become infected from a pregnant mother as early as 8-12 weeks. However, most often infection occurs during childbirth (the situation is most dangerous if there are birth complications).

Medicine is developing, and one of the main achievements of AIDS prevention is reducing the risk of infection of an infant during his birth.

In the absence of therapeutic treatment, the risk of having sick children in sick women is 15-25%, and special treatment during pregnancy can not only slow down the development of the disease in the female body, but also reduce the percentage by 2/3. This means that today an HIV-infected woman has a real chance to give birth to a healthy child.

Vertical path

The infection is transmitted from a sick mother to her child during gestation (via the placenta), during childbirth (through blood) or during lactation (with milk). All of these options represent a vertical method of HIV transmission.

There is an extensive list of factors that influence the likelihood of transmission of the virus from mother to baby. For ease of perception, we will present the information in the form of a table:

Preventive measures

Prevention of infection consists of following a number of important but simple recommendations:

• stop having promiscuous sex life. When having sexual intercourse with a casual partner, always use a barrier method of contraception - a condom;
• Avoid injecting drugs. You can become infected with HIV in an intoxicated state when using one syringe or needle among several drug addicts, including an HIV-infected person;
• Follow medical recommendations and preventive measures to prevent infection of the child. Similar tips can be found in the plan for preparing a pregnant woman for childbirth and subsequent care of the newborn. In particular, it is necessary to exclude breastfeeding;
• Get checked regularly for infection. If the virus is detected, begin AIDS treatment immediately;
• treat STDs promptly;
• resort to using only your own hygiene items (manicure accessories, razor, toothbrush, etc.);
• use exclusively sterile instruments when piercing the earlobes or knocking out a tattoo;
• When working in the field of medical care, appropriately equip the workplace where you will come into contact with blood and other biological materials;
• As a medical professional, do not neglect to use sterile gloves when interacting with patients.

Particular attention should be paid to medical prevention, expressed in a set of measures aimed at early diagnosis and reducing the possibility of further development of the disease.

The described preventive methods imply primary prevention - a set of procedures necessary to prevent infection among a healthy population.

This group also includes secondary prevention, aimed at appropriate work with many people potentially at risk (drug addicts, street children, homosexuals).

And finally, tertiary prevention, consisting of a set of activities organized to improve the quality of life of those struggling with the disease.

In conclusion, let us formulate conclusions that logically follow from the above information.

The main source of infection in the case of HIV infection is a sick person. After HIV infection, an incubation period follows, which is characterized by the virtual absence of characteristic symptoms. From the beginning of the final stage of the “starting” period, the patient acquires the status of a carrier of infection, the virus is detected in the laboratory.

You can become infected from an HIV-infected person in two ways: through the patient’s blood or as a result of unprotected sexual intercourse with a carrier of the virus. According to statistics, sex without a condom is the most common cause of infection.

The vertical transmission pathway of the virus involves the transmission of virus particles from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. Taking appropriate medications during pregnancy increases the possibility of having a healthy baby.

Every member of modern society must adhere to a number of recommendations aimed at preventing the deadly disease. The actions of the individual are aimed mainly at ensuring safety during sexual intercourse, maintaining personal hygiene, and observing sanitary and hygienic measures when in contact with an infected person.

History of the discovery of HIV/AIDS

The beginning of the history of the emergence of HIV/AIDS in the world is conventionally designated as 1978, since some scientists believe that HIV passed from monkeys to humans between 1926 and 1946. Moreover, recent research suggests that this virus may have first appeared in the human population as early as the 17th century, but only established itself as an epidemic strain in Africa in the 1930s. The world's oldest human blood sample containing HIV dates back to 1959, the year an African patient from Congo whose blood was taken died of AIDS. The first reports of a new deadly disease appeared in the United States in mid-1981. Five cases of unusual pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis have been identified among young gay men in New York and Los Angeles. This same group of people often had Kaposi's sarcoma, a malignant tumor that was usually rare in young people. The number of patients began to increase sharply over time. The disease was called “AIDS – ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME.”

Already in 1983 in France, Luc Montagnier first discovered the causative agent of the disease. It was a virus isolated from the patient's enlarged lymph nodes. Soon Montagnier's discovery was confirmed by American virologist Robert Gallo, who studied the properties and structure of the virus.

In 1982 – 1983 cases of HIV infection have already been registered in many regions of all continents.

Two years later (1985), it was found that HIV is transmitted through body fluids: blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first HIV test. The USA and Japan have begun testing donated blood and blood products for HIV.

In 1987, the first anti-AIDS drug, AZT (zidovudine, retrovir) from Glaxo, was approved in a number of countries.

And in the same year, the first case of AIDS was registered in Russia.

The official history of the AIDS epidemic in our country began much later than in many other countries of the world. In the early 80s, many in Russia believed that the virus could not get through the Iron Curtain. When the first cases of the HIV epidemic began to be registered among our compatriots in 1987, this fact did not cause a strong reaction in most people. At the time, it was believed that HIV only affected certain groups of the population, namely injecting drug users, men who have sex with men and commercial sex workers. Thus, society already had a stereotypical attitude towards HIV-positive people.

However, in 1989, there was a massive HIV infection of children in hospitals in Elista, and then in Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. These events sparked debate and created tension in society, as children did not fit into the general idea of ​​who could become HIV positive.

All these problems created the basis for the emergence of non-governmental organizations in the country, whose task was not only to combat the spread of the epidemic, but also to help people caught in the maelstrom of this problem.

In 1988, the World Health Organization, together with the British government, held a meeting of health ministers on the AIDS epidemic. December 1 was declared World AIDS Day.

The United States has passed a law prohibiting discrimination against federal employees with HIV infection.

In 1995, the country adopted the law “On preventing the spread of the disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus in the Russian Federation,” the authors of which aimed to prohibit discrimination against people living with HIV. In particular, the law guaranteed respect for the rights and freedoms of citizens living with HIV and prohibited the dismissal of people because of their HIV status.

A sharp increase in the epidemic occurred in 1996. Within one year, 10 times more new cases of HIV infection were registered in Russia than in 1995. And in the first six months of 1997, almost as many as in the entire previous decade. Most of the cases occurred not in the capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg, but in Kaliningrad, Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region, Tver Region, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov. Of the 88 federal subjects in Russia, only 18 were not affected. Most of the new cases were young people aged 20 to 30 years, and transmission of the virus mainly occurred through injecting drug use.

According to the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS), “the sharpest increase in HIV cases in 1999 was recorded in the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union: between the end of 1997 and the end of 1999 alone, the number of people living with HIV in this territory , has doubled."

In 2002, the head of the Federal Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, Vadim Pokrovsky, assessed the rate of development of the epidemic in Russia, compared to other countries, as the highest. Currently, among European countries, Russia leads in the number of HIV-positive people. 4 out of 5 people living with HIV in Russia are under 30 years old. 4 out of 10 new cases of the HIV epidemic are registered among young women.

In 2005, the Russian state radically changed its attitude towards the problem of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A list of programs for the prevention, detection and treatment of HIV for 2006 was developed. All these programs were included in the national project "Health". President Putin made the unprecedented decision to allocate more than 3 billion rubles for the treatment and prevention of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 2006, which is more than 20 times the funding allocated for these tasks up to that point.

Despite the fact that HIV infection has been spreading throughout the globe for more than 30 years and the flow of information about it is quite extensive, not everyone knows how HIV infection is transmitted and how HIV infection occurs.

More than 40 million people on Earth are affected by HIV, and the rate of infection is not decreasing at all. Therefore, it is impossible to ignore and remain indifferent to this problem. In the current situation, everyone should clearly know how one can become infected with HIV in order to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Features of HIV

According to scientists, the carriers of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were first monkeys, from which people on the African continent were then infected.

Due to population migration on a large scale, the virus has spread throughout the world.

HIV is a retrovirus that enters the human body and does not manifest itself in any way; the infected person does not even suspect it. Once the virus enters the body, it can behave differently. In 70% of infected people (about a month later), an acute phase of HIV infection develops, which manifests itself with symptoms reminiscent of mononucleosis or a common acute respiratory infection, and therefore is not diagnosed.

It would be possible to diagnose the disease using PCR, but this rather expensive test would need to be prescribed to every patient with acute respiratory infections. The patient recovers fairly quickly and feels absolutely normal, unaware of his infection. This phase is called asymptomatic.

Antibodies to the virus do not begin to be produced immediately after the infection enters the body. Sometimes it takes 3, and sometimes 6 months until specific antibodies confirming the disease begin to be detected in the blood. The maximum duration of this period, when the virus is already in the body, but there are no antibodies yet, is 12 months. This is called the seroconversion period or seronegative window.

This period of imaginary well-being can last 10 or more years. But an infected person can infect others through various routes of HIV transmission.

To do this, it is only necessary to achieve a certain concentration of the virus in the infected person’s body. And since the virus multiplies at tremendous speed, soon all the biological fluids of the infected person contain HIV, only in different concentrations.

Fortunately, the virus is not resistant outside the human body. It dies when heated to 57 0 C in half an hour, and when boiled in the first minute. Alcohol, acetone, and conventional disinfectants also have a destructive effect. On the surface of intact skin, the virus is destroyed by enzymes and other bacteria.

The difficulty of fighting HIV is that it is very mutant, even in the same organism it has different structural variants. Therefore, a vaccine against HIV has not yet been created. Once in the body, HIV attacks immune cells, making a person defenseless against any type of infection.

Ways of spreading the disease

How HIV infection occurs is a concern for many people who live or work near infected people. Experts have proven that the concentration of the virus sufficient to infect another person is present in the blood, semen and vaginal secretions, and in breast milk. The modes of transmission of HIV are associated with these biological substances.

There are 3 ways of transmitting HIV:

1. The most common way of contracting HIV is sexual path. Infection occurs through unprotected sexual contact. Moreover, the variety of ways of transmitting HIV infection is striking - through homosexual contact, vaginal, oral, anal sex.

Numerous relationships with prostitutes, homosexual relationships are the most dangerous. During anal sex, microtraumatic injuries occur in the rectum, which increase the risk of infection. Women who have sexual contact with an HIV-infected partner are more vulnerable: they become infected 3 times more. more often than a man from an infected partner.

The presence of cervical erosion and inflammation in the genitals increase the possibility of infection. There are about 30 known sexually transmitted diseases or STDs. Many of them involve an inflammatory process, so STDs significantly increase the likelihood of HIV transmission. The possibility of infection increases for both partners during sex during menstruation.

With oral sexual contact, the likelihood of infection is somewhat less, but it does exist. Many people are interested in: is it possible to transmit HIV through one sexual contact? Unfortunately, the infection can be transmitted in this case too. That is why one of the indications for emergency drug prevention of infection is the rape of a woman.

1. HIV is also easily transmitted through blood. This route is called parenteral. With this method of infection, transmission of the virus is possible through blood transfusion, organ or tissue transplantation, or manipulation of non-sterile instruments (including syringes).

For infection, it is enough for one ten-thousandth of a milliliter of blood to enter another body - such an amount is invisible to the human eye. If the slightest particle of blood from an infected person enters the body of a healthy person, then the probability of infection is almost 100%.

Such situations can arise when getting a tattoo, ear piercing, or piercing not in a specialized salon, but by random people. Infection can also occur when performing a manicure/pedicure with untreated instruments. Washing with water is not enough to remove residual blood. Instruments must undergo complete processing (disinfection and sterilization).

Infection through donated blood is unlikely, since the collected blood is rechecked not only after collection, but also donors are additionally examined after 6 months in order to exclude the period of seroconversion at the time of blood donation. The collected blood remains in the blood bank of the transfusion stations all this time and is issued only after rechecking.

In dental offices and clinics, in surgical services, in addition to disinfection, instruments are sterilized in dry-heat ovens or autoclaves. Therefore, the risk of infection by them in medical institutions is minimized.

The most relevant way of contracting HIV through blood is for drug users by injection. Many of them try to reassure themselves about the issue of HIV infection by using disposable syringes. However, when purchasing a dose from a drug distributor, they cannot be sure that the disposable syringe they bring does not contain a previously infected substance.

Sometimes drug users use a shared syringe, changing only the needles, although with intravenous injections, blood necessarily enters the syringe and infects it.

In everyday life, infection can occur when using someone else's or a shared razor. Family members of an infected person can also become infected from him when providing assistance without rubber gloves in the event of an injury or cut.

1. Vertical HIV infection is the transmission of the virus from an infected mother to her child. How is HIV transmitted in this case? There can be different ways for a child to become infected with HIV:

• firstly, the virus is able to overcome the placental barrier and then infection of the fetus occurs in utero;
• secondly, infection can occur directly during childbirth;
• thirdly, the mother can infect the child through breast milk.

Infection of the baby can be prevented with the help of free preventive treatment with antiviral drugs, if the woman promptly contacted the antenatal clinic during pregnancy and underwent all the necessary tests.

To reduce the risk of infection of the child, in some cases, delivery is performed by caesarean section. The baby also receives free antiviral drugs for 28 days.

After birth, it is recommended to feed the baby with formula milk. There are, however, cases when tests during pregnancy were negative, since there was a period of seronegative window (seroconversion). In this case, the child will receive the virus through milk during breastfeeding.

When infection does not occur

Despite the fact that the virus is present in any body fluid, its concentration in them is different. Thus, tears, sweat, saliva, feces and urine do not play an epidemiological role, since they do not lead to infection of another person. It would take liters of tears or sweat, for example, so that if they come into contact with the damaged skin of a healthy person, they could transmit the virus. True, infection is possible through kissing if blood gets into the saliva due to bleeding gums.

Infection does not threaten in the following cases:

1. Fortunately, HIV is not an airborne virus. Staying in the same room with an infected person is not dangerous.
2. It is not dangerous to use the same toilet, bathtub, shared utensils or towels.
3. You can't get infected in the pool.
4. You can safely use one phone and not be afraid of shaking hands with an infected person.
5. HIV is not transmitted by animals or insect bites.
6. Water and food routes of infection are also excluded.

Risk group

Considering the possible ways of spreading the disease, doctors identify a risk group, which includes:

• injection drug users;
• persons with non-traditional sexual orientation (homosexuals);
• persons engaged in prostitution;
• persons with promiscuous sex, practicing unprotected sex (without a condom);
• patients with sexually transmitted diseases;
• blood product recipients;
• children born from an HIV-positive mother;
• health workers providing care to patients with HIV.

HIV infection is a special disease that may not have clinical manifestations for a number of years, but sooner or later leads to a state of immunodeficiency, that is, to AIDS. At this stage, it is quite difficult to fight the disease; a person can die from any common infection. Therefore, everyone should clearly know how HIV is transmitted and protect themselves as much as possible.