Some people have gotten HIV by having blood transfusions or receiving other blood products that contained HIV. For example, some people with a condition called hemophilia get a blood product called factor VIII to help their blood clot. Unfortunately, before doctors and researchers understood much about HIV, many hemophiliacs became infected with HIV and died. Now this blood-clotting factor is made in a way that does not involve getting blood from people, so it is completely safe.

But since 1985, all blood used in transfusions in the United States has been tested for HIV. So the risk of getting HIV from a blood transfusion in the United States is now very small.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.