ntravenous drug use Maternofetal

ntravenous drug use

Sharing unsterilized injection equipment that has been previously used by someone who is infected is an important route of HIV transmission in many countries with a high prevalence of intravenous drug users. In contrast to the accidental needlestick injury (see also Chapter "Post-Exposure Prophylaxis"), the risk of transmission through sharing injection equipment is far higher: the intravenous drug user ensures the proper positioning of the needle by aspiration of blood.

Maternofetal

In the absence of any intervention, an estimated 15-30 % of mothers with HIV infection will transmit the infection during pregnancy and delivery. In approximately 75 % of these cases, HIV is transmitted during late pregnancy or during delivery. About 10 % of vertical HIV infections occur before the third trimester, and 10-15 % are caused by breastfeeding.

In Western countries, perinatal (vertical) HIV infection has become rare since the introduction of antiretroviral transmission prophylaxis and elective cesarean section. For more details, see Chapter "Pregnancy and HIV".

Injection or transfusion of contaminated blood products

In most Western countries, administration or transfusion of HIV-contaminated blood or blood products has become a rare event. With current testing methods (for details see also Chapter "HIV Testing"), the risk of acquiring HIV from a unit of transfused blood is about 1:1,000,000. However, while Western European countries, the United States, Australia, Canada, and Japan have strict and mandatory screening of donated blood for HIV, not all countries do.