Question: HIV does not survive well outside of the human body how does this characteristic affect its transmission

Michael Kimwele answered on 21 Jul 2025:

HIV’s inability to survive well outside the human body significantly limits its modes of transmission, making it primarily spread through specific activities that involve direct exchange of certain body fluids—such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk—from an infected person. This characteristic means that casual contact like hugging, shaking hands, or sharing utensils does not transmit the virus, reducing the risk in everyday social interactions. As a result, HIV is most commonly transmitted through unprotected sex, sharing needles, or from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding, rather than through environmental exposure.