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Can You Get HIV by Being Exposed to Tears?

HIV viral particles (virions) are found in the tears of HIV-positive people. However, you can feel secure comforting your HIV-positive loved ones, as there is too little HIV in tears to lead to infection in another person.

  1. Transmission

    • For the HIV virus to be transmitted successfully, it needs to pass from an infectious bodily fluid into the bloodstream of an uninfected person.

    Tears and Other Fluids

    • Bodily fluids that contain HIV but too little of the virus to be successfully transmitted to others include tears, saliva and urine.

    Infectious Fluids

    • HIV is transmitted through the blood, semen, vaginal secretions or breast milk of an infected person. Transmission can occur through unprotected sex, sharing injection-drug equipment and breastfeeding.

    Non-Risk Activities

    • It is not possible to contract HIV through casual contact, sharing things like dishes, bathrooms and swimming pools, and HIV is not airborne.

    Considerations

    • There is a risk of infection if there is a quantity of an infectious fluid in a non-infectious fluid--if there is blood present in tears, for instance.

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