Can you infect yourself with hiv

HIV cannot be spread from one person to another in any of the following ways:. In studies of hundreds of households in which families have lived with and cared for people who have AIDS, including situations in which no one knew that the person was HIV-infected, HIV was spread only when there was sexual contact or needle-sharing with the infected person or contact with the infected person's blood. HIV is not spread in such settings where exposures are repeated and prolonged and can involve contact with an infected person's body fluids, so it is even less likely to be spread in other casual social settings, such as schools and offices.

HIV cannot be spread by sharing drinking glasses or by casual kissing. The risk of spreading the virus through "deep" kissing in which large amounts of saliva are exchanged is extremely low. Only one unproven case has ever been reported. No cases of HIV spread have ever been reported after a person has come in contact with the sweat, tears, urine, or feces of an HIV-infected person.

HIV is not spread by vaccines made from blood products, such as the hepatitis B vaccine and various immunoglobulins approved for use in Canada and the United States. People with HIV can pass the virus on more easily in the weeks following infection. HIV is not passed on easily from one person to another. The virus does not spread through the air like cold and flu viruses. HIV lives in the blood and in some body fluids. Understanding how HIV spreads can help you make safer choices about sex.

Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about HIV and if you want to get tested. Reviewed by: Robyn R. Miller, MD. Fact: Healthcare professionals in the United States and many other countries rigorously test the blood supply for a variety of blood-related infections, including HIV. Banked blood that is available for transfusion does not contain HIV. The virus cannot spread through organ and tissue donations, as these also undergo testing.

When scientists were first identifying HIV, they did not know what caused the virus or how it spread. As a result, they did not test donated blood for HIV, and some people contracted the virus in this way.

Anyone who has concerns about blood or organs they are going to receive can speak to a healthcare professional about the product and the testing process. It is not possible to contract HIV by donating blood, as all needles and other materials are sterile.

Fact: Healthcare professionals consider contracting HIV from oral sex rare but possible. During oral sex, placing the mouth on the penis, vagina, or anus can potentially expose a person to infected fluids that could enter the mucous membranes in their mouth.

Although the risk of contracting HIV as a result of engaging in oral sex is low , a person can still take steps to protect themselves if their partner has the virus. People can use a barrier method of protection, such as a dental dam or a condom, to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV and other infections during oral sex. To prevent transmission, healthcare professionals recommend engaging in monogamous sex with a partner who is taking antiretroviral therapy consistently if they have HIV.

Fact: HIV does not transmit through saliva, and it is not possible to transmit the virus by kissing on the cheeks or the lips. For this to happen, both people would have to have large, open sores in their mouth through which blood could pass. Fact: HIV can survive in a used needle for up to 42 days. There is no safe way to share needles.