A common myth is that HIV is transmissible through saliva. Is this all true? Can HIV be transmitted through saliva?
The short answer is NO. The long answer is written below.
Can HIV Be Transmitted Through Saliva?
You cannot catch HIV from a person’s saliva. Research shows that HIV cannot be spread through saliva, although it can be transmitted by other bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, and vaginal fluids.
Though HIV can be found in saliva, it cannot be transferred by kissing because a combination of antibodies and enzymes in saliva automatically stops HIV from infecting new cells.
Only 1% to 5% of people have the virus in their saliva. Most people contract HIV through unprotected sex and contaminated needles. An early research about saliva and contracting HIV supports this fact.
The most common way that the virus spreads is through engaging in vaginal or anal sex. Direct contact with an HIV-positive person’s saliva is not infectious. That being said, get rid of the other popular HIV-myths – you cannot get HIV from them by kissing, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, sneezing, sharing cutlery or bath towels, and swimming in the same pool.
