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Which body fluids can transmit HIV?

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sexually transmitted disease Scanning electron micrograph of the spirochete *Treponema pallidum* attached to testicular cell membranes.

HIV is transmitted through the direct transfer of specific bodily fluids from an infected person to an uninfected person. These fluids include:

Blood and blood products12
Genital secretions, such as semen and vaginal fluids12
Breast milk12

Because the virus is fragile and cannot survive for long periods outside the body, it is not spread through casual contact, such as shaking hands, or through coughing or sneezing. Transmission requires the direct exchange of the fluids listed above, most commonly occurring through sexual contact, the sharing of needles or syringes among intravenous drug users, or from mother to infant during pregnancy, labor, or breastfeeding.12

It is important to note that individuals who adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reach an undetectable viral load, rendering the virus untransmittable through sexual contact, a concept known as "undetectable = untransmittable" (U = U).1