Human Immunodeficiency Virus
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HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a highly infectious retrovirus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV is present in all bodily fluids of an infected subject, including but not limited to:
- Blood
- Sweat
- Tears
- Saliva
- All fluids consequential of sexual contact
- Breast milk
HIV is primarily spread by sexual contact, especially amongst homosexual couples due to consequences of their lifestyle choices. Other common means of becoming infected with HIV are
- Mother-To-Child transmission, in which mothers infected with HIV transmit the virus to their baby in-utero, or via breastfeeding.
- Contact with infected blood. This can include any physical contact with the blood of an infected person, including blood transfusions.
Other less likely means of transmission exist, though are rare. These include contact with the saliva, sweat or tears of an infected person.