Co-factors that affect the risk of transmission

As well as the viral load of the person with HIV (covered in the previous section), a number of other co-factors may make sexual transmission more or less likely, including:

  • sexually transmitted infections
  • bacterial vaginosis
  • vaginal practices such as washing and drying
  • male circumcision
  • use of hormonal contraception
  • use of poppers (a recreational drug).
This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.