HIV/AIDS: Which body fluids transmit HIV?


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	Global Health Reporting Which body fluids transmit HIV? Blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breastmilk, and other body fluids containing blood taken from HIV-positive people can contain high concentrations of HIV. The virus also might be present in the fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord, fluid surrounding bone joints and fluid surrounding a fetus of an HIV-positive pregnant woman. HIV has been found in the saliva and tears of some HIV-positive people but in very low quantities. A small amount of HIV in a body fluid does not necessarily mean that HIV can be transmitted by that body fluid. HIV has not been recovered from the sweat of HIV-positive people. Contact with saliva, tears or sweat has never been shown to result in HIV transmission. Overview Facts at a Glance FAQ Libraries Organizations

What factors make women more vulnerable to HIV infection?

A combination of biological, social, cultural and economic factors contribute to women's increased vulnerability. In particular, gender inequalities prevent women from asserting power over their own lives and controlling the circumstances that increase their vulnerability to infection. Women are also physiologically more susceptible to becoming infected with HIV than men.

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