HIV, a very delicate virus

Dear Dr. Donya,

I'm grateful for your article in The Jakarta Post and have several questions regarding HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).

1. When an HIV-infected drop of blood, semen or saliva of a person with HIV gets smeared and/or dried up on a bed sheet or any other object, will the virus die soon after exposure to the air? It is said or medically reported that the virus is very fragile and gets killed easily outside a human's body. How long will the virus survive under these conditions?

I find this information or knowledge important because hotel bed sheets, towels, barbers' razors or scissors, or a dentist's instruments may otherwise infect people.

2. Will the virus survive in water?

Thanks for any information which you may offer.

-- ST

Dear Simon,

HIV is very fragile and gets killed easily outside the body. Nobody can tell exactly how long the virus will stay alive in the environment but for sure, it is not long.

HIV blood transmission has three routes: sexual contact, blood transfusion and needle contamination. Contact with instruments as a cause of infection is very rare because HIV does not survive in water.

-- Dr.Donya