Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucla-cs!Rob.Carr@f81.n129.z1.fidonet.org
From: Rob.Carr@f81.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Rob Carr)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: AIDS TRANSMISSION
Message-ID: <30458@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 4 Jan 90 19:40:51 GMT
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/81 - NorthStar Pitt, Whitehall PA
Lines: 42
Approved: aids@cs.ucla.edu
Archive-number: 1604

Transmission of AIDS (actually the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV) occurs  
through the exchange of bodily fluids.  "Body fluids" was the term someone came  
up with to avoid saying blood and semen, but also includes cerebrospinal fluid,  
pericardial lubrication, sweat, saliva, tears, urine, feces, etc.
 
Most studies have placed the risk of infection from saliva, sweat, tears, and  
urine at zero to near zero, to the point that the CDC no longer collects stats  
on HIV transmission from contact with saliva, sweat, or tears.  (I'm not sure  
if they collect on urine, but I doubt it).
 
So how does a woman transmit HIV to someone else?  Well, the vaginal  
lubrication produced as a part of foreplay or sex could contain HIV.  If the  
woman has just started her period or has open wounds in the vagina (abrasions,  
microscopic breakages of blood vessels, etc.) the virus could become available  
that way also.  Anal sex would provide similar modes of transmission.
 
So how would the partner contract it?  Well, for males, any skin disturbance on  
the penis would interfere with the skin acting as a barrier against the virus.   
This means abrasions, rashes, etc.  To tell the truth, I'm not too sure how  
likely female-female transmission is.  A couple Lesbian friends tease me about  
their being in the lowest risk group that there is (lesbian, non-drug user,  
non-medical and non-lab work) and that my being a paramedic puts me at much  
greater risk than they are (oh, they're monogamous, too).  Any female-female  
transmission would be by the fluid-broken skin route, too.
 
Not too important any more is the blood transmission route.  Back before they  
could test for HIV or knew what AIDS was, this was a significant route.  Now  
adays, they can test for HIV antibodies and ask people in the high-risk groups  
not to donate.  Since a few people can be HIV antibody negative yet harbor the  
virus for years, the restriction on high-risk groups is, unfortunately, still  
necessary.
 
Please feel free to ask more questions.  And if anyone can improve on my answer  
or correct any misinformation I may have, please do so (please no comments on  
my spelling!).
 
BTW:  the June 3 1989 Science News has the article on HIV antibody negative/HIV  
infected individuals.

--  
Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!129!81!Rob.Carr
Internet: Rob.Carr@f81.n129.z1.fidonet.org