What are the transmission routes of AIDS?
Disease description:
Recently, I saw quite a few people online talking about AIDS, which made me a bit scared. I would like to learn about the transmission routes of AIDS.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
AIDS, short for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a severe infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is mainly transmitted through the following routes:
1. Sexual transmission: This is the most common mode of transmission, including sexual activity between heterosexuals and homosexuals. When an individual infected with HIV engages in sexual activity without protective measures, exchange of body fluids occurs, allowing the HIV virus to enter the partner's body and cause infection.
2. Mother-to-child transmission: During pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, an HIV-positive mother may transmit the virus to her infant. When the mother is infected with HIV, the virus can enter the fetus's or infant's body through intrauterine infection, birth canal transmission, or breastfeeding.
3. Bloodborne transmission: Sharing needles, syringes, or unsterilized surgical instruments, as well as receiving contaminated blood or blood products, can all lead to HIV transmission.
However, general daily contact, such as shaking hands, hugging, sharing eating utensils, coughing, or sneezing, does not transmit HIV. Additionally, mosquito or insect bites do not transmit HIV.
