There are so many ways to contract AIDS and HIV that its frightening when you think about it. Here are the most common: 1. Unprotected Sex - the #1 transmitter of AIDS and HIV, though that is being disputed currently. Unprotected Sex with anyone can lead to HIV, but also remember that it won't always lead to it. Generally, the rule with STD's is that one person is usually the infected carrier...regardless, always use protection when having sex. Most particularly, oral sex will DEFINITELY transmit the disease...the genitalia of both men and women are among the most germ-ridden areas of the body...oral sex will transmit the infection faster than most other methods, since there is no real contraceptive that can be used. 2. Drug Use - this is being disputed currently against Unprotected Sex as the #1 transmitter of AIDS. Sharing of drug needles is the most common transmission...needless to say, the needle goes into the blood stream of one person, and then if the needle is shared with other people, germs and infections from one person are spread to the other. While the direct cause of HIV is still not currently known(beleive it or not), it is a fact that sharing of drug needles seems to breed HIV among users. 3. Blood transfusion/mixing - It is never safe to touch someone's open wound...you don't know if the person has AIDS or HIV. A popular thing for kids to do way back when was to pick their scabs off and rub the sores together so that they would become 'blood brothers'. It is things like that which can cause AIDS...the direct contact of one person's open wound to an infected or potentially infected person' blood. In the 80's blood reserves were not checked for AIDS, since AIDS was still a young and relatively underestimated disease...many blood transfusions led to infection. Now, all hospitals and blood banks are required to screen donors for infections, but there is always the possibility that a blood transfusion will cause AIDS. 4. Kissing - disputed, but AIDS and HIV CAN be carried by saliva...kissing an infected person is dangerous. While a simple kiss on the cheek or non-mouth kiss is fine, open mouthed kissing can lead to the transfer of the disease. Also remember that when you brush your teeth, you create hundreds of tiny cuts on your gums...kissing an infected person who brushed their teeth recently is inviting a transmission. 5. Sharing hygiene tools - as stated above, sharing a toothbrush is a very bad idea...whether infected with HIV or not, the cuts created in the mouth of the person do bleed, and are open cuts...blood and infection will get caught in the bristles of the brush. Sharing shaving razors is also ill-advised...especially manual razors, as opposed to electric, since you are more prone to bloody cuts while shaving. What you should remember is that you won't get AIDS or HIV by sitting next to someone with the disease, holding their hand, touching them or talking to them. Although it is easy to transmit, it is difficult to catch, but you must make sure that you are careful at all times...when you meet someone, namely a new friend or a date, it is important that you know their sexual history before you get romantically involved. If you trust the person, and they are open with their relationship history with you, then you can rely on that, but always remember that if you have doubts, ask your partner or friend (and you, for that matter) to get trested. As usual, I recommend www.webmd.com for further resources.

Not saying that it is completely impossible to contract AIDS by using someone's toothbrush, but there has not been one proven case where that has happened

Do you fear that you have HIV/AIDS? You've posted a lot of questions on the subject. AIDS can only be contracted through the swapping of bodily fluids, like blood, semen et cetera.

You are more likely to test positive for (be infected with) HIV if you: Have ever shared injection drug needles and syringes or "works." Have ever had sex without a condom with someone who had HIV. Have ever had a sexually transmitted disease, like chlamydia or gonorrhea. Received a blood transfusion or a blood clotting factor between 1978 and 1985. Have ever had sex with someone who has done any of those things by- http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/brochure/atrisk.htm

Blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk. Those fluids coming in to contact with an open wound will do it-there are so many permutations of how it can occur. When I taught HIV/AIDS prevention courses with the Red Cross I would tell my students to stay away from those four, how ever you may come in to contact with them-because its sometimes very difficult to know if you have an open wound or cut.

The likly chance you will get HIV from kissing (Closed mouth is like 0%.) Change uf getting it Open mouth and french kissing is like 1%. Spit has enzymes in it that destroys the aids virus. So even if they have open cuts or sores in their mouth. as long as their not bleeding its fine. You can even share a meal with them or drink after them and you cant catch it cause of the enzyms. I wouldnt use their tooth brush for reasons other than spreading HIV. Its nasty. Unless your married. If they sneeze or cough your fine. its just transmitted through Blood, Semen, and basically the vaginal walls cause they basically can create a constant flow of Female's stuff. Holding hands is completly fine. open mouth kissing i wouldnt even worry about. If your not having sex with that person. Unless they take their blood (or for some reason Their Semen) and the purposly smear it in a open sore or cut dont worry about it. But the body creates a natures bandage that is like rough skin. It dosent let ANYTHING pass.. Also on a record note some people naturally create P24 ( i belive its the antibody for HIV. A HIV test really only checks for this. so in order to be certin u have it u must check it through BLOOD work. A saliva test isnt completly accurate because of the enzymes. It still can tell you but it cant be passes through it. Kinda makes you wonder why its illegal for a HIV patient to spit on someone. It cant be transmitted that way. Anyway i hope this gives u some peace at heart.

As I mentioned in my comment to one of the answers, there are many ways to contract the virus, but not every HIV+ person has the same chance of infecting someone. The viral load of a person will determine how infectious they are. People on treatment and without other STD's present, living a healthy lifestyle and generally taking care of themselves are much less likely to spread the virus, even through sexual intercourse some argue. Refer to the following article: http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/4E9D555B-18FB-4D56-B912-2C28AFCCD36B.asp It's more important for me to understand the needs of an HIV+ person than to get people crazy about it. People living with HIV have it tough because of their environment not being educated enough about it.