Transmission and First Aid ·
In terms of risk to you or other family members or friends, there is no risk from social/everyday contact. HIV is not passed on through:
- kissing
- touching
- sharing cutlery, cups, toilets, towels, soap
- sneezing.
HIV is found in blood, sexual fluids and breast milk. For HIV to be passed on someone who did not have HIV would need one of these fluids to enter their body from someone who had HIV. As we said above, this means through unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing drug-injecting equipment, accidental stabbing with an infected needle, or from a mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. Any other transmission route is unlikely.
What if they cut or injure themselves?
For HIV to be passed on there needs to be a route. If someone with HIV cuts themselves, unless they are bleeding directly into a similarly open and bleeding wound that you have, the risk of transmission is low. HIV is a very fragile virus and doesn’t stay alive outside of the body for long.
When anyone cuts themselves, regardless of whether or not they have HIV, there are steps that should be taken to minimise the risk of any blood-borne virus being passed on.
If you are in contact with someone who is bleeding, or you come across fresh blood, you should check your hands for cuts and consider covering any cuts with plasters.
Consider using latex gloves or something like plastic bags round your hands if you are administering first aid or cleaning up any blood spillages.
Use household bleach to clean any blood spillage.
Dispose of the materials used to clean cuts or clean up blood in a leak-proof bag, such as plastic bags, and dispose in a bin.
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