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Activities and risk

HIV Transmission Basics Chart

This risk assessment applies only generally. Each circumstance may have components that radically shift the risk. Refer to transmission basics for guidance or ask a health care professional.

No Risk

No potential risk and no evidence of transmission:

  • Casual everyday contact (shaking hands, hugging, etc.)
  • Sharing household items or bathroom/kitchen facilities
  • Contact with urine, tears, saliva
  • Kissing (no blood present)
  • Spitting (no blood present)
  • Using drugs with new needles, pipes, straws, cookers, filters etc.
  • Using unshared sex toys
  • Tattooing, piercing, body modifications with sterilized and new equipment
  • Manicures and pedicures with new, sterilized equipment

Negligible Risk

Activities in this category pose potential risk for HIV transmission but there is no evidence of HIV transmission to date:

  • Receiving oral sex
  • Performing oral sex with a condom or barrier
  • Anilingus, fingering, fisting
  • Sharing sex toys with condoms
  • Using disinfected sex toys
  • Snorting or smoking drugs or shared pipe or straw
  • Sharing toothbrushes or razors; manicures/pedicures if not professionally done
  • Fighting

Low Risk

Activities in this category pose potential risk for HIV transmission and some evidence of transmission in certain circumstances:

  • Kissing with blood exchange
  • Performing oral sex without a barrier
  • Vaginal or anal sex with a condom
  • Injecting drugs or cleaned needles
  • Occupational Exposure (RNs at highest risk)

High Risk

Activities in this category pose significant risk for HIV transmission:

  • Unprotected vaginal/anal sex
  • Inserting shared sex toys without a condom/cleaning
  • Sharing needles for injection drug use
  • Tattooing, piercing, body modification with shared equipment

Some conditions which may dramatically increase risk

  • Using petroleum-based lube with condoms
  • STI infection or outbreak
  • Recent dental work
  • Not using a condom correctly/condom breakage
  • Wearing 2 condoms at the same time
  • Abrasions or sores in the mouth or genitals
  • Wearing lipstick while performing oral sex