HIV Transmission: Understanding Risk with Urine

HIV is found in the urine of an infected person. However, it is not possible to contract HIV from contact with the urine of an HIV-positive person because there are too few virus particles in this fluid. These facts come from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Conditions

• Two conditions must be present for infection with HIV: The virus must enter the bloodstream of an uninfected person and the concentration of virus must be high enough to lead to an infection.

Infectious Fluids

• Only four bodily fluids can contain enough HIV to transmit the virus to another person: blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk.

Noninfectious Fluids

• Other bodily fluids, including urine, tears and saliva, contain HIV but cannot transmit the virus. Sweat contains no HIV.

Considerations

• A generally noninfectious bodily fluid like urine may pose a risk of infection if it contains an infectious fluid like blood.

Testing

• A person who believes she has been exposed to HIV should be tested.