Transmission of HIV-1 in the Breast-Feeding Process

Children: HIV/AIDS and Hearing Loss

“…Based on the findings of Protocol 067, the medical benefits of pharmacological therapy for HIV-positive, pregnant women and their infants justifies the need for confirming mothers' HIV status. Beyond significantly reducing perinatal transmission, knowledge of HIV status provides an avenue in which infected mothers may be educated on various aspects of HIV, including the risk of HIV transmission through breast feeding (Black, 1996). Nevertheless, testing the mother and/or infant for HIV is voluntary.…”

Innate antiviral defenses in body fluids and tissues

“…This salivary defense appears to explain the rarity of casual HIV transmission orally. However, the normally effective oral barrier can be overcome by the solutes in seminal fluid, milk, and colostrums (Mayer and DeGruttola, 1987;Lifson et al, 1990;Quatro et al, 1990;Lane et al, 1991;Ryder et al, 1991;Dunn et al, 1992;Keet et al, 1992;Bertolli et al, 1996;Black, 1996;Berrey and Shea, 1997;Cao et al, 1997).…”

“…Thus, hypotonic disruption appears to be a major mechanism by which saliva kills the transmitting mononuclear leukocytes and thereby prevents their attachment to mucosal epithelial cells and their production of infectious HIV. Unexplained, however, was the paradox that oral transmission of HIV does occur epidemiologically if infected seminal fluid (Mayer and De-Gruttola, 1987;Lifson et al, 1990;Quatro et al, 1990;Lane et al, 1991;Keet et al, 1992;Berrey and Shea, 1997) or milk (Ryder et al, 1991;Dunn et al, 1992;Bertolli et al, 1996;Black, 1996;Cao et al, 1997) is deposited orally, despite the presence of saliva. The mechanisms by which the carrier's seminal fluid or milk may overcome protection by the recipient's saliva was studied .…”

HIV topic update: oro‐genital transmission of HIV

“…The present article provides a summary of the facts on the presence and infectivity of HIV in genital fluids and saliva, the salivary HIV-inhibitory activity, the case reports and epidemiology of oro-genital HIV transmission, and the evidence from animal studies. Oral transmission during breast-feeding is discussed elsewhere (Black, 1996).…”