No. Infection with HIV may depend on how the virus enters the body and the amount of virus that enters the body. But it is important to know that infection may occur after one exposure to HIV infected blood, semen or vaginal secretions. Exposure can occur during unprotected sex or sharing injection drug needles or "works."

NO. Although you can be infected from one exposure to HIV, it depends on HOW you are exposed, how healthy you are at the time, and how much virus the infected person has in their system. Drugs and Alcohol significantly increase the chance of being infected if you are exposed.

The most common way to become exposed is by having unprotected sex with someone who is infected or by sharing a needle or syringe with someone who is infected. Sex without a condom. HIV is found in semen, vaginal fluids and blood. HIV can enter the body through any type of sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal and oral sex.

Globally, 45 percent of adults living with HIV/AIDS are women. By region, this percentage varies considerably, from 57% in Sub-Saharan Africa, to 28% in East Asia and the Pacific. In 2004, 17.6 million women were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

Infection with HIV in this way is rare. There have only been a couple of documented cases of HIV transmission resulting from biting. In these particular cases, severe tissue tearing and damage were reported in addition to the presence of blood. REF: HOW AIDS CAN BE TRANSMITTED

A blood test can determine whether or not a person is infected with HIV. The most commonly used test detects antibodies (disease-fighting proteins) against HIV. It may take as long as three to six months for HIV antibodies to reach levels that are measurable in standard blood tests.

The only way to tell you have HIV is be tested for the virus. You cannot rely on symptoms to tell if you or someone you know is infected. The symptoms of HIV are similar to many other illnesses and many people have no symptoms at all. The symptoms of AIDS are also similar to other diseases. If a person is infected with HIV, the only way to tell if they have progressed to AIDS is to be diagnosed by a doctor using the CDC defined criteria.

HIV can be passed from the mother to the baby one of four ways. The baby can contract HIV through the placenta, during delivery, from breastfeeding, or from an infected wound on the mother. The most important and frequent method of transmission is through the placenta prior to delivery. The second highest incidence of risk is during delivery. Transmission of HIV is more common among preterm birth because the baby's immune system is less mature and resistance to infection.

In 2004, 640,000 children under 15 were newly infected with HIV, bringing the total number of children living with HIV to 2.2 million. About half of all new adult HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds. Learn more about USAID's efforts to prevent HIV in children and young people:

Research suggests the risk of HIV infection in this way is extremely low. A very small number of people -usually in a healthcare setting- have become infected with HIV as a result of blood splashes in the eye. REF: TRANSMISSION OF AIDS AMONG HEALTH WORKERS

You can have a free HIV test at one of our Public Health Clinics in Chico or Oroville, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The test is quick, painless. Call for more information at (530) 538-6220 / 1-877-783-4636.

Only with a blood test. A person can be HIV infected for many years while looking and feeling healthy, with no signs at all of being sick.

No. From the start of the HIV epidemic there has been concern about HIV transmission of the virus by biting and bloodsucking insects, such as mosquitoes. However, studies have shown no evidence of HIV transmission through mosquitoes or any other insects—even in areas where there are many cases of AIDS and large populations of mosquitoes. Lack of such outbreaks, despite intense efforts to detect them, supports the conclusion that HIV is not transmitted by insects.

The surest way is to abstain from unprotected sexual behaviors and totally avoid sharing needles of any kind. When engaging in sexual behaviors always practice safer sex to reduce the risk of exchanging blood semen or vaginal fluids with your sex partner. Never use petroleum based lubricants since they can cause latex condoms or dental dams to deteriorate and tear. You should never share needles works cookers cotton water or any other paraphernalia used to inject drugs.

Studies of families of HIV-infected people have found that HIV is not spread through sharing utensils, towels, bedding, or toilet facilities. Behaviors that increase the likelihood of contact with blood from an HIV-infected person, such as sharing a razor or toothbrush, should be avoided.

No. From the start of the HIV epidemic there has been concern about HIV transmission of the virus by biting and bloodsucking insects, such as mosquitoes. However, studies conducted by the CDC and elsewhere have shown no evidence of HIV transmission through mosquitoes or any other insects -- even in areas where there are many cases of AIDS and large populations of mosquitoes.

Most of the parents of the children at BaanGerda were infected with HIV. The disease was passed to them through pregnancy, and when they were born they were already HIV positive. The parents subsequently died from an AIDS related illness. Between 20-30% of babies born to HIV positive mothers who have no prenatal care and no antiviral therapy will be born HIV positive.

No. The AIDS virus does not live in a mosquito and it is not transmitted through a mosquito's salivary glands like other diseases such as malaria or yellow fever.