Transmission through Blood and Blood Products

Sharing injection drug works

The sharing of HIV-contaminated needles, syringes, drugs, and other drug paraphernalia can lead to the transmission of HIV. Even if syringes and needles are sterile, drugs that are mixed in containers (including spoons or bottle caps) and are shared, or drugs shared from a common container, make for very risky injections.

While intravenous injections hold the greatest risk for infection, it is possible to be infected from subcutaneous and intramuscular injections as well. In many countries, injectable medications, syringes, and needles are available to the general public without a prescription. If multiple people use these, the risk for HIV transmission will increase.

Transfusions and organ transplants

Transfusions or treatments with infected blood or blood products can lead to HIV transmission. Many parts of the world now routinely test donated blood for HIV before approving its use, but many countries lack the resources to do so. Organs or tissues taken from individuals with HIV can also transmit the virus to the people receiving them.

Sharing skin-cutting or -piercing tools

HIV can be transmitted by skin piercing, cutting, and tattooing instruments (needles,  razor blades, circumcision instruments) that have been in contact with infected blood or body fluids and have not been properly processed before reuse.

Transmission in health care settings

Health care workers, including cleaners and lab technicians, will be at risk for becoming infected with HIV if they are exposed to blood and other body fluids of infected individuals during their work.

One form of exposure among workers in health care settings is needlestick injuries with HIV-contaminated needles. The risk for HIV transmission to clients during clinical or surgical procedures exists when clients are exposed to blood or body fluids containing HIV from other clients.

Following appropriate infection prevention practices can drastically reduce the risk for occupational exposure and HIV transmission to clients. The best way to prevent infections at a health facility is by following standard precautions. These are a set of recommendations designed to help minimize the risk for exposure to infectious materials by both clients and staff.

Providers should follow standard precautions with every client regardless of whether or not they think the client might have an infection. This is important because it is impossible to tell who is infected with HIV, and often the infected persons themselves do not know that they are infected. (For detailed information on infection prevention in health care settings, see EngenderHealth’s online Infection Prevention course.)

It is safer to act as if every client is infected, rather than to apply standard precautions to some clients and not others.

Course Home | Module Home Index | Glossary | Help | Next Page

© 2007 EngenderHealth