Can You Get AIDS From Sharing Water?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) cannot be transmitted through casual contact. This includes sharing drinking glasses and facilities like pools, bathtubs and toilets. Knowing how HIV can and cannot be transmitted helps individuals protect themselves from transmission, but also interact better with HIV-positive peers.

Transmission Overview

• HIV must cross the body's blood barrier to trigger an infection. The four bodily fluids that contain HIV in sufficiently high concentration to cause infection are blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk, according to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Transmission Activities

• Activities that carry a risk for HIV infection include unprotected vaginal, anal and oral sex, sharing injection-drug paraphernalia, and from infected mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth and through breastfeeding.

Other Fluids

• HIV is found in other bodily fluids like urine, saliva and tears. However, the concentration of HIV in these fluids is too low to lead to infection in another person.

Casual Contact

• Because HIV must cross the blood barrier in a high enough concentration to lead to infection, it cannot be transmitted through casual contact, including sharing water.

Exception

• There is a risk of infection if other bodily fluids, such as saliva, contain blood. People who believe they have been exposed to HIV should seek out testing; see Resources to locate HIV testing locations.