Risk factors for HIV infection include:
- Babies of infected mothers: About 1 in 3 babies born to women who have HIV will be infected.
- Blood transfusions before 1985: currently, the risk is extremely low because blood is tested for HIV before it is given to others.
- Breastfeeding: a very small risk for babies of mothers who have HIV.
- Health care workers who suffer a needle stick by an infected needle
- Intravenous drug use: especially if users share needles with someone who has HIV.
- Although initially HIV was more common in homosexual males, HIV has become more common in heterosexual persons than in homosexual males.
- Multiple sex partners
- Unprotected sex
- Anal sex
- Prostitution
