Risk factors for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Human Immunodeficiency Virus

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.

Risk factors include:

• Having multiple sexual partners
• Sharing needles for injecting drugs
• Having regular exposure to HIV-contaminated blood or other body fluids (a concern for healthcare workers)
• Being born to an HIV-infected mother
• Receiving donor blood products, tissue, organs, or artificial insemination
• Being an immigrants from geographic locations with high numbers of AIDS patients (east central Africa and Haiti)
• Having a sexual relationship with a high-risk individual or a partner already infected with HIV