Understanding and Challenging Stigma toward ... - Pact Cambodia

Annex A:9
HIV Transmission
During anal sex, fluid can get into the body through small cuts on the anus or
penis. Receptive anal sex is much more risky than insertive anal sex.
When injecting drugs with an infected needle, HIV can go directly into the
bloodstream.
Common sense and everyday hygiene means that many concerns that people worry
about would do not materialize in everyday life. For example you wouldn’t share a
toothbrush if it was covered in blood; you would wash if you cut yourself; you would
wear gloves or cover your hands if you are cleaning up someone’s diarrhea.
Using “QQR” you can see why there is no risk of HIV transmission by:
Kissing. Hugging. Shaking hands. Sitting beside or sharing rooms with people living
with HIV. Mosquito bites. Sharing cups, glasses, plates, bowls and chopsticks.
Sharing sheets, towels or clothes. Giving blood. Sharing toilets. Using the same
washing water. Sneezing or coughing. Touching the skin or sweat of a person living
with HIV. Changing the clothes of or serving food to a person living with HIV. Taking
the blood pressure of a person living with HIV. Shaking hands with someone living
with HIV. Hugging someone with HIV. Kissing someone with HIV when your mouth is
clean and clear of cuts or sores.
Other Factors that Increase the Risk of Sexual Transmission of HIV:
Viral load of infected person. Higher viral load increases risk of HIV
transmission. The highest viral loads occur at the initial stage of HIV infection
(before an individual even tests positive for HIV) and the final stages of AIDS.
Having multiple partners. If you have sex with multiple people regularly and do
not use condoms with all partners, HIV can pass quickly through your sexual
network. Remember, a viral load (quantity) is highest right after infection. If you
got infected last week and have unprotected sex with someone else today, you
are more likely pass on the virus.
Presence of cuts or wounds. Wounds or cuts on either partner increase the
chance of HIV entering the bloodstream.
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