The virus is carried in semen and vaginal fluids. These fluids come out during sex and are passed to the other person. You cannot destroy the virus by washing after sex. You can wear a condom during sex. You also can get HIV by sharing needles for shooting drugs because it's carried in the blood left in the needles.
Newborn babies can get the virus from their moms.
It is rare to get it from blood transfusions because blood is now screened for the virus. You can't get HIV from being in casual contact with an infected person, hugging, sitting next to an infected person, using plates or glasses of an infected person, drinking from a water fountain, being coughed on, or swimming or wrestling with an infected person. It is important to explain that anyone can be infected by AIDS, regardless of sexual orientation. They also are influenced by peers, the individual with whom they are involved and their own hormones or curiosity. One of the best prevention tools is your open and honest communication.