What does the saliva do?

What does the saliva do?

HIV requires a good quantity of salt for its survival. Therefore, blood gives HIV the most favorable environment for propagation. Saliva, on the contrary, deactivates 90% of the HIV- infected leukocytes, due to lack of salt. Leukocytes or the blood cells, which help in the transmission of HIV to the mucosal surface, fail to succeed in their purpose. The HIV in saliva expands and bursts, due to lack of salt.

Therefore the saliva serves two purposes :

• Its antiseptic property kills the freely moving HIV in saliva and other parts of our mouth
• It destroys those HIV infected cells, which are the main culprits in the transmission of the disease.

For all these reasons HIV does not transfer from mouth to mouth contact.

Nevertheless, the transmission of HIV through kissing is only possible, if both the partners have deep sore in their mouths, deep cut, or heavily bleeding gums. However, the reason behind this contraction cannot exactly be pertained to saliva. Rather, it would be the blood, that would act as the carrier of the HIV virus from one person into the blood stream of the other.

Other bodily fluids that are free from HIV are sweats, tears and urine. Therefore, one should not panic if he is exposed to these bodily fluids of an HIV positive person. There is no harm in:

• Sharing food
• Eating together
• Using the same toilet
• Sharing clothes
• Sharing the same swimming pool

The fluids that can cause harm are blood, semen and breast milk. Therefore, before coming to contact with these fluids, one must take enough precautions.