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Disease Prevention

Content Alert: Some pages within our web site contain HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. Since HIV infection is spread primarily through sexual practices or by sharing needles, prevention messages and programs may address these topics. If you are not seeking such information or feel you may be offended, please exit this page.

Do you have a question about HIV or AIDS? The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health will help you with your questions. Questions that have already been asked are posted on the Frequently Asked Questions page. This question posting page allows you to ask a question anonymously. You may request that your answer be E-mailed to you or posted on the bottom of this page. Questions and answers are always posted anonymously. Your name and/or E-mail address will never be revealed on either page.

Please allow a week for the answer to be posted here.

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Thank you for your time and please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Cerro Gordo County
Department of Public Health
Mohawk Square
22 N Georgia, 3rd Floor
Mason City, IA 50401

PHONE: (641) 421-9321

E-MAIL: grant@cghealth.com

Previous Questions and Answers:

Question: Can I get HIV from performing oral sex?

Answer: Yes, it is possible for you to become infected with HIV through performing oral sex. There have been a few cases of HIV transmission from performing oral sex on a person infected with HIV. While no one knows exactly what the degree of risk is, evidence suggests that the risk is less than that of unprotected anal or vaginal sex.

Blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, and vaginal fluid all may contain the virus. Cells in the mucous lining of the mouth may carry HIV into the lymph nodes or the bloodstream. The risk increases if you have cuts or sores around or in your mouth or throat; if your partner ejaculates in your mouth
or if your partner has another sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Question: Can I get HIV from someone performing oral sex on me?

Answer: Yes, it is possible for you to become infected with HIV through receiving oral sex. If your partner has HIV, blood from their mouth may enter the urethra (the opening at the tip of the penis), the vagina, the anus, or directly into the body through small cuts or open sores. While no one knows exactly what the degree of risk is, evidence suggests that the risk is less than that of unprotected anal or vaginal sex.

Question: Can I get HIV from casual contact (shaking hands, hugging, using a toilet, drinking from the same glass, or the sneezing and coughing of an infected person)?

Answer: No. HIV is not transmitted by day-to-day contact in the workplace, schools, or social settings. HIV is not transmitted through shaking hands, hugging, or a casual kiss. You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, a drinking fountain, a door knob, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets.

A small number of cases of transmission have been reported in which a person became infected with HIV as a result of contact with blood or other body secretions from an HIV-infected person in the household. Although contact with blood and other body substances can occur in households, transmission of HIV is rare in this setting. However, persons infected with HIV and persons providing home care for those who are HIV-infected should be fully educated and trained regarding appropriate infection-control techniques.

HIV is not an airborne or food-borne virus, and it does not live long outside the body. HIV can be found in the blood, semen, or vaginal fluid of an infected person. The three main ways HIV is transmitted are

1). through having sex (anal, vaginal, or oral) with someone infected with HIV.
2). through sharing needles and syringes with someone who has HIV.
3). through exposure (in the case of infants) to HIV before or during birth, or through breast feeding.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Page updated 7-28-04