HIV spreads through contact with  contaminated blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk from infected people.  Contact can come from unsafe sex.  It can aslso come come from sharing used needles and syringes.  Infected women can pass the cirus to their babies during pregnancy, childbirth, and breast feeding.  It is also possible to become infected with HIV through blood transfusion, although this is now very rare.

People do not get infected with HIV through casual contact with people at school, work, home or anywhere else.  The virus is not spread from contact with sweat, tears, saliva, or a casual kiss from an infected people (deep or 'Frenched' kiss is not advised).  Nor can people be infected from contact with forks, cups, clothes, phones, toilet seat, or other things used by someone who is infected.  People do not get infected from food prepared by an HIV-infected person.  People have not become infected with HIV through insect bites.

OralQuick – Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test

What you should know about HIV and the OralQuick Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test

Your healthcare provider is the best person to answer your questions about HIV and the OralQuick Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test.

You have a choice of the type of test to use.  When you are tested for HIV, a specimen will be collected and checked for HIV antibodies.  The presence of HIV antibodies in your body means that you have been infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

You should be aware that then presence of HIV antibodies can be dected in many ways.  Ask your healthcare provider for the information you need to make good choices.