Why saliva no dey spread HIV

HIV dey pass from one person to anoda through blood, semen and pre-cum, vaginal fluid, fluid from di anus (rectal fluid) and breast milk. Saliva no dey dat list. CDC tok am clear say HIV no dey pass through saliva.

Na why di calculator dey take kissing as no risk, no matter who di oda person be and no matter im HIV status.

Kissing wit closed mouth

Risk no dey at all. CDC tok say you no fit pass HIV through kissing wit closed mouth. Small kiss, kiss for cheek or kiss for lips na di same as hug.

Deep kissing or open-mouth kissing

Deep kissing get almost no risk. CDC tok say, very very rarely, HIV don pass through open-mouth kissing wen both partners get sore or gum wey dey bleed, so na blood, no be saliva, cause am.

To put am for context, plenti tins go need to happen togeda. Di oda person go need to get HIV and no dey take treatment wey dey work. Blood go need to dey im mouth, and open sore or bleeding go need to dey your own. Normal kissing, even wit plenti saliva, no reach dat level at all.

If you brush or floss your teeth hard before, or you get sore for mouth, dat one no go turn kiss to real exposure (wen HIV fit don enter your body). Kiss alone no be reason for PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis: HIV medicine wey you go take afta exposure to stop di virus).

Biting

CDC put biting for di group wey risk almost no dey. HIV from bite dey rare, and for e to happen, blood or body fluid don need to touch skin wey don tear, wound or di soft wet skin inside body (mucous membrane). Bite wey no tear di skin no get any risk.

If person bite you hard reach say blood comot, and dat person get blood for im mouth, wash di wound wit soap and water and go see health worker di same day. If you need PEP, you must start am within 72 hours.

Spitting

If person spit on you, no HIV risk dey. Even if di spit enter your eye or your mouth, e still no get risk, becos saliva no dey pass di virus.

To share cup, straw, fork or one bite of food no dey spread HIV. Di only case wey dem don record wey concern food na rare one: person wey dey take care of pikin and get HIV get blood for im mouth, and di blood mix wit food wey e first chew for di pikin, and di pikin come chop am. Dat one no be wetin dey happen wen adults share food.

Wetin fit carry risk wit kissing

Pipo dey usually worry about kiss wen anoda tin happen too. Look each part separately:

Oral sex (to use mouth for private part) get small risk. Wit partner wey get HIV and no dey take treatment, e be about 0.01% (around 1 out of 10,000) for each act. Read more on oral sex and HIV.
Vaginal or anal sex without condom get more risk. For receptive vaginal sex (di person wey dem enter) wit partner wey get HIV and no dey take treatment, e be about 0.08% (around 1 out of 1,200) for each act.
Blood wey enter your eye, mouth or fresh cut dey for blood exposures.

Wetin to do now

If na only kissing happen, even deep kissing, nothing dey wey you need to rush do and you no need PEP. If you neva do HIV test before, CDC recommend say everybody wey dey between age 13 to 64 suppose test at least once. Test fit also make your mind rest.

If sex happen too, and e happen for di last 72 hours wit person wey get HIV or wey you no sabi im status, ask about PEP today. PEP dey work best wen you start am within 24 hours, and you go take am for 28 days. How to get PEP

If di worry dey come back again and again even though di risk na zero, no be only you. Di HIV anxiety page get steps wey fit help, and di list of contact wey no get risk fit help you settle am.