Question
Do open sores risk transmission of HIV?
16 December 2021. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, Opportunistic infections.
Hi, my sister is HIV positive. She doesn’t want to take treatment and now she started to have sores all over her head and loosing most of her hair. Her sores have yellow fluid coming out. I just want to know that she’s not going to spread?
Answer
HI, how are both you and your sister doing?
Is there a reason your sister is not wanting to take medication? Yellow fluid can suggest there is an infection, do you know if your sister has seen a doctor about this? She may need other treatment that just HIV medication. If she is not on medication she is at risk of more serious infection that can need medical intervention.
Transmission of HIV is difficult. HIV does not survive outside of the body. As your sisters sores are weeping, you would need to be in direct contact with an open wound to contract HIV. Your sister will not be spreading HIV by doing daily life activities. This is a guide to which body fluids are infectious.
Hopefully your sister will be doing better soon,
Josh.