• AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is caused by HIV. This virus spreads in only specific ways: through unprotected sexual intercourse, by sharing needles with an infected person, from an infected mother to a child during or after birth, or during breast feeding from a woman with HIV. AIDS cannot spread from the other methods discussed in this article.
  
  

Animals

• Though strains of HIV exist in animals, the virus cannot cross species. Caring for the pet of an infected person is not a problem. A bite from a dog, cat or snake cannot spread AIDS. The virus cannot live inside a mosquito nor be transmitted through its saliva. Other insects such as bedbugs, fleas and ticks do not pass on the disease.
  
  

Blood

• Previous to 1986, AIDS was transmitted through blood transfusions because testing for the virus was new. Today, current screening techniques prevent that from happening. In any case, you cannot get the virus from giving blood in most countries of the world.
  
  

Casual contact

• HIV is not passed through unbroken skin allowing you to touch, hug, shake hands, or hold an infected person. Because the virus has been found in saliva in trace amounts, there is a small chance that kissing may transmit the virus if the uninfected person has a cut in his mouth.
  
  

Objects

• Sharing combs, washing dishes or folding clothes used by an AIDS patient does not spread the disease. You cannot get the disease from public toilet seats, drinking fountains, doorknobs, or other everyday objects. You can help yourself to food from a serving dish used by an infected person or even share her ice cream cone without fear of contamination.
  
  

Body

• Sweat and tears do not spread AIDS. You can engage in athletic competition with an infected person as long as you avoid blood-to-blood contact. You cannot get the disease form swimming pools or other bodies of water. Though feces and urine do contain trace amounts of HIV, they do not spread the disease. You can thus change the diapers of an infant with AIDS.