Can HIV be transmitted through saliva?
Disease description:
Two days ago, during a group tour, I unknowingly sat next to and ate with an individual living with HIV. We did not use serving chopsticks—can HIV be transmitted through saliva?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yu Yongqin
Saliva can potentially transmit HIV. The primary routes of HIV transmission include sexual contact, blood exposure, and mother-to-child transmission. HIV is present in the blood, breast milk, and exudates from broken skin or mucous membranes of individuals living with HIV. Although HIV may also be present in saliva, the viral load is typically very low; therefore, casual contact with saliva does not generally result in HIV infection. However, transmission via saliva may occur during intimate contact—or if an HIV-positive individual has oral ulcers accompanied by bleeding—because such conditions increase the risk of exposure to infectious bodily fluids.
