HIV/AIDS Causes & Risk Factors Can You Get HIV From Kissing? By Mark Cichocki, RN Mark Cichocki, RN LinkedIn Twitter Mark Cichocki, RN, is an HIV/AIDS nurse educator at the University of Michigan Health System for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 27, 2023 Medically reviewed by Jenny Sweigard, MD Medically reviewed by Jenny Sweigard, MD LinkedIn Jenny Sweigard, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine. She is an in-patient physician at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center in North Carolina. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Let's start by stating the obvious: kissing is considered among the most ineffective means of transmitting HIV from one person to another, with risk considered anywhere from negligible to non-existent. Maria Teijeiro / Getty Images To date, there has really been only one, rather dubious case where an HIV-negative woman was said to have been infected by her HIV-positive male partner, who reportedly deep kissed her on a regular basis over a two-year period—often with bleeding gums. What makes the case—which was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) back in 1996—highly suspect is the fact that the couple also reported condom breakage during the same period, using a nonoxynol-9 lubricant (now known to increase HIV risk in women), and having vaginal sex and oral sex without condoms during the span of their relationship. While the CDC reported that they suspected HIV transmission was "possibly associated with exposure of mucous membranes to contaminated blood," they could not exclude vaginal sex, oral sex, or any other possibility. Beyond this one incident, there has been no documented case wherein kissing alone was identified as the mode of HIV transmission in either a sexual or social situation. Establishing the Conditions for HIV Transmission It's important to always remember that there are four conditions that must be met in order for HIV transmission to take place: There must be body fluids in which HIV can thrive, such as semen, blood, vaginal fluids, or breast milk. HIV cannot thrive in the open air or in parts of the body with high acid content (such as the stomach or bladder) or antimicrobial defenses (such as the mouth). There must be a route of transmission, such as through certain sexual activities, shared needles, occupational exposure, or transmission from mother to child. There must be a means for the virus to reach vulnerable cells inside your body, either through a rupture or penetration of the skin, absorption through mucosal tissues, or both. HIV cannot penetrate intact skin. There must be sufficient levels of virus in the body fluids, which is why saliva, sweat, and tears are unlikely sources since the level of virus in these fluids is considered insufficient for infection. Based on these conditions, the likelihood of HIV transmission by kissing is not only considered low but pretty much near impossible. The History of HIV and AIDS AIDS Phobia and Conspiracy Theorists With that being said, there are people who still fear that infection is possible from the unlikely sources, including touching, mosquitos, shared grooming products, and kissing. AIDS phobia, the paralyzing and unreasonable fear of HIV, plays a huge part in these beliefs. At other times, a person may prescribe to a contrarian view about HIV or are simply misinformed about HIV in general. For these individuals, counseling with a qualified professional may be needed as well as psychotherapy for those experiencing extreme anxiety or depression. Additionally, if the person is at risk of acquiring HIV or in a mixed-status (serodiscordant) relationship, doctors may want to consider prescribing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—a type of therapy (either in the form of a daily pill or an injection every two months) that can reduce the risk of HIV by more than 90%. HIV Doctor Discussion Guide Get our printable guide for your next doctor's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Download PDF Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV risk reduction tool. Estimate the HIV risk. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Transmission of HIV possibly associated with exposure of mucous membrane to contaminated blood. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1997;46(27):620-623. AIDSinfo. The basics of HIV prevention. Summers, RW. Social Psychology: How Other People Influence Our Thoughts and Actions. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO; 2016. HIV.gov. Pre-exposure prophylaxis. Additional Reading Bogart LM, Galvan FH, Wagner GJ, Klein DJ. Longitudinal association of HIV conspiracy beliefs with sexual risk among black males living with HIV. AIDS Behav. 2011;15(6):1180-1186. doi:10.1007/s10461-010-9796-7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Transmission of HIV possibly associated with exposure of mucous membrane to contaminated blood. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1997;46(27):620-623. By Mark Cichocki, RN Mark Cichocki, RN, is an HIV/AIDS nurse educator at the University of Michigan Health System for more than 20 years. 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