HIV Transmission Rates

One of the most spoken about - but also the most misunderstood diseases, in the world is AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). It is basically a sexually transmitted disease that is caused due to a virus known as the HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The HIV transmission statistics compiled by the World Health Organization puts the total number of people living with HIV at 33.3 million as of 2009. There are several ways by which this virus can be passed on from one person to another. Even though there is no dearth of information on hows and whys about HIV transmission, myths about it exist in plenty.

Facts About HIV Transmission Rates
When people think of HIV transmission rates, the first thing that comes to their mind is HIV transmission statistics - which entail how high the incidence and occurrence of this virus is. However, the fact is that when we speak of transmission rates, we are actually referring to the chances of this virus being transmitted by different routes - in other words, the probability of HIV transmission. In order to get a better understanding of the entire issue, you need to know how is HIV transmitted.



 All in all, here, we will see what are the chances of contracting HIV from different routes of blood or fluid exchange.

• Blood Transfusion

One method in which the chances of transfer of virus from one individual to another are at their peak is by transfusion of infected blood - especially in cases wherein there is transfusion of whole blood. Thus, unfortunately, people that require repeated transfusions, like those who suffer from blood diseases, are at a slight risk of contracting AIDS if the blood they are receiving is not screened thoroughly. The risk of HIV-1 transmission per unit transfused in the United States - which was estimated to be somewhere between 1 in 450,000 and 1 in 660,000 in 1995, has decreased to 1 in 1,400,000 and 1 in 1,800,000 as of 2003. Other developed and developing nations also show positive signs, but a large part of the world - which comprises of underdeveloped nations of Africa and Asia, continue to reel under the shadow of this pandemic. This condition can be attributed to the fact that most of the underdeveloped nations do not test blood for HIV in course of transfusion as a result of lack of proper infrastructure.

• Sexual Intercourse

Although HIV is often branded almost exclusively as a sexually transmitted virus, the fact is that the passage of this virus from one person to another during sexual intercourse is dependent on many factors. Basically, the virus has to be present in the secretions of the infected partner and these secretions need to reach the internal cavity of the other person involved. Although the risk of infection does exist even with a onetime direct sexual contact with an infected person, the rates seen are very low, lesser than 1%. Despite the fact that with repeated exposure to an infected person the chances of contracting this virus do increase, this is once again dependent on many factors, like whether it is female to male HIV transmission or the other way round. The concentration of the virus needs to be in sufficient amounts in the genital fluid so as to ensure that the virus is passed on. Also, the mode of sexual contact also plays a role, as it is said that unprotected anal sex is the most likely way of contracting this virus.

• Other Routes

There are many other routes of infection which are also considered to be high risk. The chances of HIV being transmitted from a mother to child are also quite high. In fact, HIV transmission probability is considered to be the highest in this method of transmission of the virus, with the chances reaching 90%. This is because, when there is mixing of blood during the delivery, there are high chances that the baby becomes infected, which is known as congenital AIDS. Sometimes, due to transfer of the virus via breast milk, a child may even contract HIV during his childhood. Another major high risk group that exists comprises of drug users who share needles. Intravenous drug users have a high chance of being infected when they share needles. It is claimed that healthcare workers are also at a risk of contracting this infection due to their proximity with infected people. However, the risk involved in this process is almost negligible.

So, it can be said that blood transfusion, birth from an infected mother, unprotected sex (especially anal sex, as is often seen in homosexuals) and needle sharing are among the more documented ways of transmission of HIV. However, it must be said that at the end of the day, one cannot entirely rely on HIV transmission rates that have been published in various scientific papers to explain the risk of this virus being passed on from one person another. The concentration of this virus is different in different body fluids like blood, breast milk and semen or vaginal secretions. Research is still on to understand this complicated and tricky virus. Also, there are different strains of this virus and most of the studies that are done almost exclusively on HIV-1. The rates of transmission of the other strains will mostly vary from the rates for HIV-1. But, like they say, statistics and rates rarely matter to the individual. So, it is always better to be safe and avoid having unprotected sex with multiple partners.