What disease is transmitted through direct contact with blood, semen, or other body fluids?

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is primarily transmitted through direct contact with blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk from an HIV-infected person. Understanding this method of transmission is critical for recognizing how to prevent HIV infection and how to practice safe health measures, especially in settings where exposure to body fluids may occur.

The main routes of transmission for HIV include sharing needles, unprotected sexual contact, and from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding. This information highlights why personal protective equipment and safe medical practices are so important in emergency response and healthcare settings.

In contrast, while hepatitis can also be transmitted through contact with blood, the question specifically refers to the ways HIV typically spreads. Tuberculosis primarily spreads through airborne droplets, and meningitis can have various forms of transmission, often related to respiratory secretions or close contact, which differentiates them from how HIV is transmitted.