trantraction through moist air? - HIV Prevention Message Board

Lee_at_ub · 08-06-2002, 08:11 PM

I've attended classes on prevention and everything, however can someone qualified to answer please explain something for me?

The situation:

Lets say, a life guard, who was officially HIV positive and didn't know it, gave mouth to mouth recetation to an individual he just saved from drowning.

Would it be possible that HIV travels through the life guard's moist air into the person's lung aveoli that way?

I've read it can't be transmitted through "open air" but what are risk percentages through closed air?

Thanks for factual responses!

08-06-2002, 08:35 PM

Sorry I can't answer about percentages (I'm not even sure if there are any for your question). But, only if the Lifeguard has bleeding gums, tongue or lips and he spits some amount of blood into the mouth of the person AND the person has open bleeding sores in their mouth is there a chance of infecting that person. HIV is transmitted by blood, semen and vaginal fluids.

Lee_at_ub · 08-06-2002, 08:45 PM

Thanks for the reply Mark!

I was more interested in the aveoli aspect of it I guess, I know they scrub down breathable air into elemental components but I thought maybe that excess moist air may have conflict with the membranes located there, hence the moist air theory.

The other part of it was I wanted like a percentage and a smoker's percentage of risk.. because they're lungs have tiny cuts from lack of healthy air.

Thanks!

Yikes! · 08-20-2002, 11:51 AM

If you're putting this much effort into making the theory plausible despite known HIV transmission methods, chances are you don't have anything to worry about.

08-22-2002, 07:11 AM

Right On Yikes!! thx