Can the AIDS virus be transmitted through drinking water? Page 2

HIV is passed through blood, semen, birth, breast milk, such as:

• Unprotected sex with an infected person
• Sharing contaminated needles (ex: drugs, vitamins, steroids, tattoos, and piercings)
• Infected mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding
• Direct exposure to infected blood or blood products

How is HIV not transmitted?

• Through casual contact, such as sharing glasses, holding hands or shaking hands
• Through normal workplace environments
• Through eating in restaurants, insect bites, coughs, sneezes, toilets, perspiration
• It is not an airborne virus

How can I protect myself from HIV virus?

• Have protected sex – Always check that the condom is not damaged nor expired.
• Get tested – know your HIV status
• Abstain – Reduce your risk by not engaging in risky sexual behaviors
• Use sanitized or one-time use needles

The current HIV test - called the ELISA test - was developed in the spring of 1985 to protect the national blood supply. All donated units of blood are currently tested for the presence of HIV. The test, though highly sensitive, was never intended to be a diagnostic tool. Consequently, a second antibody test was developed, the Western Blot. If a person's ELISA test is positive, the second test is conducted. It takes two to six weeks for antibodies to show up in the system after initial exposure to HIV.

Abstinence from high-risk activities is the best way to completely avoid contracting this disease because prevention is far more efficient than looking for a cure, which is still in the research phase. Education about HIV/AIDS is the key to educating yourself on this topic and understanding the steps to avoid this very serious disease.