Which actions increase the risk of transmitting HIV from an infected person to a healthy person?

The risk of transmitting HIV primarily stems from activities that involve the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk.

Receiving blood transfusions can significantly increase the risk if the blood is not screened for HIV. Historically, this was a primary method of transmission before rigorous testing was mandated for all donated blood.

Having sexual intercourse, especially unprotected vaginal or anal sex, is one of the most common ways HIV is transmitted between individuals. The virus can be present in the bodily fluids exchanged during these activities, making them high-risk scenarios for transmission.

Sharing utensils with an infected person, on the other hand, generally does not pose a risk. HIV does not survive long outside the human body and is not transmitted via saliva unless there are open wounds or sores. This activity would not significantly contribute to the transmission of the virus.

Therefore, since receiving blood transfusions and having sexual intercourse are both well-documented routes for transmission, recognizing that these actions increase the risk validates the conclusion that multiple activities can enhance the likelihood of HIV spread, making the answer encompassing these risks collectively clear.