HIV can be transmitted via sexual contact or through the sharing of IV drug needles or syringes. A person infected with HIV may not show symptoms of AIDS for 10 years or more and can appear to be completely healthy. People infected with AIDS often experience severe health problems such as severe weight loss, severe pneumonia, cancer, and damage to the nervous system. It is also able to enter the bloodstream through cuts that may not even be noticed. HIV is also spread through the sharing of drug needles or syringes with an infected person.
Pregnant women can also pass the virus to their unborn children.
You can't catch the virus through a sneeze or cough, or through everday contact with people. You can't catch HIV through a mosquito bite. The risk of acquiring HIV through a blood transfusion has been virtually eliminated through modern technology. If you are concerned that you may have been infected with HIV, Norris Health Center offers anonymous HIV counseling and testing. Advanced technology has allowed for the engineering of some vaccines to increase their safety.