HIV has become one of the deadliest conditions among the millions of infections existing in the world. HIV, commonly called human immunodeficiency syndrome destroys CD4 + T cells which are critically important to protect the body against infections. Due to this, individuals suffering from HIV tend to be susceptible to a variety of other infections. Learning about HIV transmission can help individuals to prevent transmission of this infection and it can also help people in following the required treatment regimen.

Once a person gets the HIV virus, it can be detected within the tissue as well as different fluids in the body. The fluids that can transmit the virus include vaginal secretions, semen, breast milk and blood. If these fluids come in direct contact with the mucus membrane of another person or a damaged tissue, then it can result in HIV transmission. Transmission can also occur if the fluids are directly injected in the blood stream. A common way of transmission of the infection is due to unsafe sexual activity with an infected person. Such sexual activity includes oral, vaginal or anal sex. Transmission of the virus can also occur in male to male sexual interaction and in rare cases in female to female sexual interactions. This is because in female to female sexual interaction, the vaginal fluids as well as menstrual blood may contain the virus and may be transferred through mucus membrane of another woman.

HIV transmission can also occur when sharing of needles occurs between an infected individual with someone else. The transmission of the virus can occur when an HIV positive woman passes the infection to her baby during childbirth or during pregnancy or following the birth, through the breast milk. The virus can also be transmitted during blood transfusion if infected blood is used. In developing countries, HIV transmission through health care settings may occur since the instruments may not be sterile and particular care may not be taken while disposing medical waste. Such transmission of HIV in health care setting is rare in developed countries as the procedures are well implemented.

Healthcare workers also face the risk of HIV transmission if they are inadvertently stuck by needles that contain HIV positive blood. Since HIV virus cannot survive in the environment or outside the body, transmission of the virus cannot occur through air. Transmission of HIV virus is also possible if the equipment used in piercing and tattoo parlours is not sterilized. In the absence of sterilization if the equipment used on an HIV positive person is used on someone else then infected blood can get in the bloodstream of another individual causing transmission of the HIV virus.

It is important to understand that the HIV transmission cannot occur from kissing. Such a transmission can only occur if both the partners have severely bleeding gums or large open sores. Likewise transmission of the virus cannot occur through sharing of glasses or cutlery with an infected person. The virus also cannot be transmitted through insect bites. Casual contact involving hugging or holding hands with an HIV positive person cannot result in transmission of the virus. These fact about transmission of the virus can help in removing discrimination against HIV positive individuals and the stigma associated with this disease.