CDC H IV/A IDS Fact Sheet

HIV/AIDS among 

Women Who Have Sex 

with Women

1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

In English, en Español

24 Hours/Day

cdcinfo@cdc.gov

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv 

June 2006

To date, there are no confirmed cases of femaleto-female sexual transmission of HIV in the 

United States database (K. McDavid, CDC, oral 

communication, March 2005). However, case 

reports of female-to-female transmission of HIV 

and the well-documented risk of female-to-male 

transmission [1] indicate that vaginal secretions 

and menstrual blood are potentially infectious 

and that mucous membrane (for example, oral, 

vaginal) exposure to these secretions has the 

potential to lead to HIV infection.

STATISTICS

The following information comes from CDC 

unpublished data.

Through December 2004, a total of 246,461 

women were reported as HIV infected. Of 

these, 7,381 were reported to have had sex 

with women; however, most had other risk 

factors (such as injection drug use, sex with 

men who are infected or who have risk factors 

for infection, or, more rarely, receipt of blood 

or blood products).

Of the 534 (of 7,381) women who were 

reported to have had sex only with women, 

91% also had another risk factor—typically, 

injection drug use.

HIV-infected women whose only initially 

reported risk factor is sex with women are 

given high priority for follow-up investigation. 

As of December 2004, none of these 

investigations had confirmed female-to-female 

HIV transmission, either because other risk

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factors were later identified or because some 

women declined to be interviewed.

A study of more than 1 million female blood 

donors found no HIV-infected women whose 

only risk factor was sex with women. Despite 

the absence of confirmed cases of female-tofemale transmission of HIV, the findings do 

not negate the possibility. Information on 

whether a woman had sex with women is 

missing in more than 60% of the 246,461 case 

reports―possibly because the physician did 

not ask or the woman did not volunteer the 

information.

RISK Factors AND BARRIERS 

TO PREVENTION

Surveys of behavioral risk factors have been 

conducted in groups of women who have sex 

with women (WSW). These surveys generally 

have been of WSW samples that differ in criteria 

for participation, location for recruitment, and 

definition of WSW. As a result, the findings of 

these surveys cannot be generalized to all WSW. 

The findings have, however, suggested that some 

WSW have other behavioral risk factors, such as 

injection drug use and unprotected vaginal sex 

with men who have sex with men (MSM) or men 

who inject drugs.

Prevention

Although there are no confirmed cases of femaleto-female transmission of HIV, female sexual 

contact should be considered a possible means of 

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H IV/A IDS among Women Who Have Sex W ith Women

transmission among WSW. These women need to 

know

their own and their partner’s HIV 

serostatus. This knowledge can help women 

who are not infected to change their behaviors 

and thus reduce their risk of becoming 

infected. For women who are infected, this 

knowledge can help them get early treatment 

and avoid infecting others.

the risk for exposure through a mucous 

membrane. Potentially, HIV can be 

transmitted through the exposure of a mucous 

membrane (in the mouth, for example), 

especially if the tissue is cut or torn, to vaginal 

secretions and menstrual blood. The potential 

for transmission is greater during early and 

late-stage HIV infection, when the amount of 

virus in the blood is expected to be highest.

the potential benefits of using condoms. 

Condoms should be used consistently and 

correctly during every sexual contact with men 

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or when using sex toys. Sex toys should not be

shared. No barrier methods for use during 

oral sex have been evaluated as effective by 

the Food and Drug Administration. However, 

natural rubber latex sheets, dental dams, 

condoms that have been cut and spread open, 

or plastic wrap may offer some protection 

from contact with body fluids during oral sex 

and thus may reduce the possibility of HIV 

transmission.

Health care providers need to remember that 

sexual identity does not necessarily predict 

behavior and that some women who identify 

themselves as WSW or lesbian may be at risk for 

HIV infection through unprotected sex with men.

REFERENCE

CDC. HIV and AIDS: Are You at Risk? Available at 

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/brochure/atrisk.htm. 

Accessed June 6, 2006.

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For more information . . . 

CDC HIV/AIDS

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv

CDC HIV/AIDS resources

CDC-INFO

1-800-232-4636

Information about personal risk and where to 

get an HIV test

CDC National HIV Testing Resources

http://www.hivtest.org

Location of HIV testing sites

CDC National Prevention Information 

Network (NPIN)

1-800-458-5231

http://www.cdcnpin.org

CDC resources, technical assistance, and 

publications

AIDSinfo

1-800-448-0440

http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov

Resources on HIV/AIDS treatment and 

clinical trials