(TW: Sex - educational context, HIV prevention)
After my last post about HIV, I received multiple asks like "I feel embarrassed to ask something so stupid but..." - and the pure fact that I got multiple of them already proves that not knowing something is no reason to be embarrassed!
Many people are not super confident in their HIV knowledge. Acknowledging that and seeking more info is a great thing. I decided to put all these questions in one post:
Certain body fluids can transmit HIV:
pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum)
Most adults who get HIV get it through sex (vaginal or anal) or sharing needles (or other drug injection equipment). Getting it from oral sex is also possible but less common.
Parent-to-child transmission (birth, breastfeeding) is the most common way that children get HIV.
Can you get HIV from topping?
Yes. Both the top and the bottom can get HIV through penetrative sex (top means you are penetrating your partner, bottom means your partner is penetrating you).
During anal sex, the bottom has a higher risk. That's because HIV can enter the body through the rectum’s thin lining. But: HIV can also enter the body through the opening at the tip of the penis or the foreskin or small cuts/scratches/sores anywhere on the penis.
During vaginal sex, either partner can get HIV as well, through vaginal tissue, the cervix or the penis as described above.
Can you get HIV from kissing?
You can’t transmit HIV through saliva, so there would need to be blood (or another fluid of the ones named above) involved. That means you could theoretically get HIV from open-mouthed kissing if both partners have sores or bleeding gums - but this is very rare.
You can’t transmit HIV at all through closed-mouthed kissing.
Can you get HIV from a public toilet?
The only realistic risk of getting HIV from a public toilet is by having sex or sharing drug equipment in there!
HIV does not survive long outside the human body (like on the toilet seat or door handle) and it cannot reproduce outside a human host. Wash your hands, as there are other germs that do survive on surfaces, but don't worry about HIV.
Can you get HIV from getting a tattoo?
You theoretically could - if the equipment or ink has someone else’s blood in it. This is unlikely to happen unless the person doing your tattoo uses unsterilized needles.
If you get a tattoo or piercing, make sure that the person doing the procedure is properly licensed and uses only new or sterilized equipment.
Can you get HIV from masturbating?
No. The only possible way would be if there were bodily fluids from an infected person on your fingers or sex toys.
It's always a good idea to wash your hands first because there could be other germs/irritants on them - but if you are doing it all alone, there is no risk of HIV. If you are masturbating together with another person, try to avoid sharing toys. If you do share them, use a new condom for each partner.
Can you get HIV from drinking alcohol?
When we talk about transmission via drug use, we are talking about sharing needles or drug equipment - they may have someone else's blood on them.
Alcohol use doesn't involve needles, you can not directly get HIV from being drunk. But: being drunk (or high) can lead to risky behavior that sober you wouldn't participate in, such as unprotected sex! It's a good idea to be careful around alcohol.
Isn't there a cure for HIV by now?
No. Once you have HIV, you have it for life - but the good news are there is treatment available! Someone who is HIV-positive and starts receiving treatment early has a normal life expectancy.
Medicine can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood (this is called viral load). In fact, it can make the viral load so low that a test can’t detect it anymore - and if you have an undetectable viral load, you will not transmit HIV to others!
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