Human Immunodeficiency Virus is often identified by the acronym HIV; when you break down the proper name, then you know exactly what it does. Human in this definition means that you can only contract HIV from another human being. You can’t catch it from a cat, a dog, or a mosquito. Immunodeficiency means that the virus makes the immune system deficient or that it can’t work like it once did. Our immune system fights against illnesses, germs, and other contagions. If you think about your immune system as being a boxer and it knocks out illnesses that come your way; then you tied that boxers’ hands behind their back then they can’t fight like they use to be able too. They can still duck, move out the way, possibly even kick but they aren’t as strong as when they can fight with their hands. This is what HIV does to our immune system. Virus means that once you have been infected with HIV that it will never go away; however, it can be controlled with medications and proper medical care.

Now that we know what HIV is, we need to know how it is transmitted. I already told you that HIV is transmitted only from 4 specific human body fluids: blood, pre-cum/semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. All body fluids have HIV in them, but only the 4 aforementioned have a high enough concentration of the virus to transmit the virus to another person. So that means you can’t get it from kissing or from urine. However, there are some important things to know about HIV and those 4 body fluids.

Blood has the highest concentration of HIV in it, so any activities that involve blood are higher risk. This can include sharing needles for injecting substances, sex when there is blood present, blood play, HIV+ mother to unborn child and any other activities that have blood present in them. Sharing needles is the highest risk activity for transmitting HIV. Blood transfusions were a cause of HIV transmission before blood banks started testing for HIV in their blood products in 1985. Additionally, a mother can give HIV to her unborn child if not medically treated for her HIV infection in utero.

Semen has the second highest concentration of HIV. Pre-cum is sometimes looked as a fluid other then semen because it is a fluid that can contain a high amount of HIV in it. Activities that involve contact with semen like unprotected vaginal and/or anal sex are high risk. Anal sex, in a man or a woman, is riskier due to ripping of the mucous membrane in the anus, which could lead to blood being present and possible exposure to semen; those are the two highest concentrated body fluids for HIV. As well, if a person has an untreated sexually transmitted disease (STD) it is much easier to contract HIV. Having an STD is like having an open wound/sores or irritated squishy (anus, penis, vagina) and it’s like an open invitation for HIV to be contracted.

Vaginal sex is still risky; however, the vaginal walls don’t tear as easily as the anus. Vaginal secretions do transmit HIV and can be transmitted through unprotected vaginal sex. However, it is riskier for women to get HIV from semen because men ejaculate all into a women’s squishy (vagina); whereas, for a woman to get her vaginal secretions in the urethra of the penis is biologically much harder and vaginal secretions have a lower concentration of HIV.

Oral sex is the lowest risk activity a person can engage in for HIV transmission because our mouths don’t tear very easily. As long as you don’t have open wounds in your mouth and haven’t flossed before oral sex, the risk is fairly low. When you floss it is like having little open wounds under your teeth. You may also want to consider, if you deep throat it can cause micro-abrasions in the throat and that can increase your risk.

Breast milk does have a high enough concentration of HIV to transmit to a baby through breastfeeding. This was found through wet nurses or other women that breastfeed children that are not biologically theirs. As adults, we often have much higher risks then coming into contact with breast milk and therefore HIV transmission has not been connected to an adult drinking breast milk.

It’s important to know which fluids put us at risk for HIV. Once you determine if you have been put at risk through unprotected vaginal or anal sex, sharing needles, or engaging in any other risky activities, then you know if you need to test for HIV. There is a “window period” or the time it takes for your body to develop antibodies from contracting HIV and this could take up to 3 months for these antibodies to develop. What this means to you, is if you think about the last time you came into contact with any of the 4 body fluids and wait 3 months to test. If you are re-exposed to any of those body fluids then your window period starts over. You can get tested for HIV from your doctor through a blood test. Community agencies often provide a variety of rapid HIV tests, where you can get your results in approximately 20 minutes. They also have home test kits that you can order online or sometimes purchase in a pharmacy. However you decide to test for HIV, it is important to know your HIV status. Seek out information, get tested, know your HIV status, and if you are living with HIV then get medical treatment. HIV is a chronic, manageable, and treatable disease.#squishytalk

SquishyLady

Original Post: Dec 4, 2015 @ 00:34