Risky Business

Risky Business - From High Risk to No Risk, Assessing Your Risk of HIV Transmission

Even in today's day and age, there is still some misunderstanding pertaining to HIV/AIDS; with some of the most common misconceptions being on the topic of HIV transmission. While composing this article, I had been given a list of actual questions received to the AIDS Calgary hotline. Two of the questions pertaining to HIV transmission struck me; "Can you contract HIV from a mosquito?", and "Can you contract HIV from kissing?". The answer to both these questions is no. But why?

In the world of HIV, we have something known as the Transmission Equation. Essentially, the transmission equation is as follows:

Bodily Fluids
(i.e. Blood, Semen, Vaginal Fluid, Breast Milk, Anal Secretions)
+
Risk Activity
(i.e. Unprotected Sex, Mother to Child, Sharing Needles)
+
Direct Access
(i.e. Open Wounds or Cuts, Direct Access to the Bloodstream, Mucous Membranes)
=
The Possibility of an HIV Infection

The transmission equation shows us that it is not possible to contract HIV from a mosquito bite (since a mosquito is neither injecting you with its own nor anyone else's blood), or kissing. You can, however, contract HIV from sexual intercourse, oral sex, or intravenous drug use. So how do we protect ourselves? Do we abstain from everything? This is where risk assessment comes into play.

Risk assessment is to understand the risk associated with the particular activities you are engaged in. Risk activities fall into four categories: No Risk, Negligible Risk, Low Risk, and High Risk. The High Risk category includes sharing needles and unprotected sex. The Low Risk category includes performing unprotected oral sex and having protected sex. Negligible Risk could be receiving oral sex, while No Risk would be kissing or abstinence.

Risk assessment takes your theoretical risk (based on the activity), and poses it against actual evidence of transmission. Theoretically, there is risk involved in all but the No Risk category; however there is strong evidence of transmission only in the High Risk category. In the Low Risk category there is some evidence, and in the Negligible and No Risk categories there is no evidence.

So what is the answer? Should we or shouldn't we partake in "risky business"?

At AIDS Calgary we understand that it is not a realistic expectation that people are going to abstain from sexual activity or from drug use. Instead, we provide awareness, education and support on the topic of HIV/AIDS. Educate yourself on the transmission equation, and assess your risk. If you choose to engage in the any of the risk activities, take the necessary precautions to make sure you and your partner are both protected. We all have the right to have fun so let's just keep ourselves safer while doing so.

This guest post was submitted by Ana M. Saskowski. Ana is a full-time mom and part-time student living in Sylvan Lake. Her recent attendance at AIDS Calgary Core Training had a profound impact on her life and prompted her submissions to The A Word.