HIV Screening

Risk factors for HIV infection

People with risk factors for becoming infected with the human immunodeficiency

virus include:

• Those who have multiple sex partners.
• Those who have sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
• Those who inject drugs, especially if they share needles.
• Those who handle blood or body fluids as a routine part of their job, such as doctors, dentists, nurses, lab technicians, and funeral workers.
• Those who have hemophilia.
• Those who received transfused blood or other blood products before 1985. Since all blood is now screened for HIV and all blood products are now heat treated to destroy HIV, the risk of getting HIV from transfused blood or blood products is low.
• Those who have their ears or other body parts pierced with needles that have not been properly cleaned and sterilized.
• Those who have tattoos inked with needles that have not been properly cleaned and sterilized.
• Infants whose mothers are infected with HIV.
• Those with active tuberculosis (TB).

Anyone with risk factors for HIV should be tested for the infection. Early treatment with medication has been shown to reduce problems and improve the quality of life.