It is safe to stay with someone who has HIV. HIV is not spread through casual touch such as hugs, shaking hands, sharing food, or using the same bathroom. The virus is spread through specific body fluids: blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk.
Living with someone who has HIV offers no risk if you take simple steps. Avoid sharing needles or syringes, and practice safe sex using condoms or other protected measures. If the HIV-positive person is on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and keeps an undetectable viral load, the chance of transmission is greatly lowered, even during sexual contact (undetectable = untransmittable or U=U).
It's important to have support and respect. Being aware about the ways HIV is and isn’t spread can help ease unnecessary fears and promote a healthy, helpful living environment.
It is safe to stay with someone who has HIV. Shared tools or living in the same house are not normal ways that HIV can be spread. Blood, semen, pelvic fluids, and breast milk are all ways that the disease can be passed on. By taking the right steps, like using condoms during sex and listening to your doctor, the risk of spread can be greatly reduced, creating a safe and helpful living environment.
