Hepatitis B and some forms of bacterial meningitis could be
transmitted through kissing alone, but it's much less common than
getting a cold or flu by kissing. HIV has also been found in the
saliva of infected people, but there is no evidence that the virus
is spread by contact with saliva. Laboratory studies reveal that
saliva has natural properties that limit the power of HIV to
infect. And research studies of people infected with HIV have found
no evidence that the virus is spread to others through saliva by
kissing. No one knows, however, whether so-called "deep" kissing,
involving the exchange of large amounts of saliva, or oral
intercourse increase the risk of infection.
Scientists also have found no evidence that HIV is spread through
sweat, tears, urine, or feces. Studies of families of HIV-infected
people have shown clearly that HIV is not spread through casual
contact such as the sharing of food utensils, towels and bedding,
swimming pools, telephones, or toilet seats.
Initial symptoms of HIV infection mimic those of other diseases
such as the flu or mononucleosis: fever, headache, tiredness, and
enlarged lymph nodes. Symptoms often disappear within a month, but
people with HIV remain highly infectious.
