You cannot get AIDS from. . .

You cannot get AIDS from. . .

Kissing

There is no scientific evidence indicating that any person has ever become infected through kissing an HIV positive person.

To become infected with HIV you must get a sufficient quantity of the virus into the bloodstream. Saliva does contain HIV, but the virus is only present in very small quantities and as such cannot cause HIV infection.

Unless both partners have large open sores in their mouths, or severely bleeding gums, there is no transmission risk from mouth-to-mouth kissing.

Sneezing, coughing, sharing glasses/cups, etc

HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host, except under strictly controlled laboratory conditions. HIV does not survive well in the open air, and this makes the possibility of this type of environmental transmission remote. In practice no environmental transmission has been recorded.

This means that HIV cannot be transmitted through spitting, sneezing, sharing glasses, cutlery, or musical instruments.

You also can't be infected in swimming pools, showers or by sharing washing facilities or toilet seats.

Insects

Studies conducted by many researchers have shown no evidence of HIV transmission through insect bites, even in areas where there are many cases of AIDS and large populations of insects such as mosquitoes. Lack of such outbreaks, despite considerable efforts to detect them, supports the conclusion that insects do not transmit HIV.

HIV only lives for a short time and cannot reproduce inside an insect. So, even if the virus enters a mosquito or another sucking or biting insect, the insect does not become infected and cannot transmit HIV to the next human it feeds on or bites.

Injecting drugs with sterile needles

Injecting with a sterile needle and works will not transmit HIV as long as clean equipment is used each time and none of it is shared.

However, there are still many other risks associated with injecting drug use. If a person is on drugs (including alcohol) they may cloud judgement and make them more likely to become involved in risky sexual behaviour, increasing the chance of exposure to HIV.

AVERT has more information on the risks involved with recreational drug use and HIV.

Protected sex

If used correctly and consistently condoms are highly effective at preventing HIV transmission. A small minority believe condoms are not adequate protection and that 'some very small viruses can pass through latex'. Scientific tests have proven this theory to be unfounded however.¹

Condoms are effective at preventing HIV during both vaginal and anal sex and can help to reduce the risks during oral sex too.

Further information can be found on our condoms page.