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Common Questions and Answers About HIV and AIDS

What is AIDS?

What causes AIDS?

What body fluids transmit HIV?

How does HIV cause AIDS?

An author indicated in a recently published book that AIDS is caused by HHV-6 rather than HIV. Is this true?

Why do some people make statements that HIV does not cause AIDS?

Where did HIV come from?

How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?

How can I tell if I'm infected with HIV? What are the symptoms?

If somebody in my class at school or someone at work has HIV, am I likely to get it?

Can I get HIV from kissing on the cheek?

Can I get HIV from open-mouth kissing?

Can I get HIV from performing oral sex?

Can I get HIV from someone performing oral sex on me?

Can I get HIV from having vaginal sex?

Can I get HIV from anal sex?

How effective are latex condoms in preventing HIV?

Is there a connection between HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases?

Why is injecting drugs a risk for HIV?

How can people who use injection drugs reduce their risk for HIV infection?

Can I get HIV from getting a tattoo or a body piercing?

Are health care workers at risk of getting HIV on the job?

Are patients in a dentist's or doctor's office at risk of getting HIV?

Should I be concerned about getting infected with HIV while playing sports?

Can I get HIV from casual contact (like shaking hands, hugging, using a toilet, drinking from the same glass, or the sneezing and coughing of an infected person)?

Can I get infected with HIV from mosquitoes?

Where can I get tested for HIV infection?

What are rapid HIV tests?

Are there other tests available?

How long after a possible exposure should I wait to get tested for HIV?

If I test HIV negative, does that mean that my partner is HIV negative also?

What if I test positive for HIV?

I'm HIV positive. Where can I get information about treatments?

How many people have HIV and AIDS?

Why does the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all pregnant women be tested for HIV?

How safe is the blood supply in the United States?

If I have never injected drugs and have had sexual intercourse only with a person of the opposite sex, could I have become infected with HIV?

Is it possible to become infected with HIV by donating blood?

I had a blood transfusion. Could I be infected with HIV?

A friend of mine told me that as long as I am taking birth control pills, I will never get the HIV infection. It this true?

What is the proper way to use a condom?

I think my son may be having sexual relations with other males. Is there any information in addition to the materials in this guide that I need to know about before I talk to him about HIV and AIDS?

References: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1994). AIDS prevention guide: The facts about HIV infection and AIDS – Putting the facts to use (OHA 8/94 D458). Rockville, MD: CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse.  Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.