Can a Child Get HIV from Their HIV-Positive Grandmother?

Question

Can a child be infected with HIV from their grandmother who has HIV?

Answer

The main modes of HIV transmission are through blood, sexual contact, and mother-to-child vertical transmission. Therefore, general daily contact with an HIV-positive person does not lead to infection. Based on the information you provided, the grandmother took care of the child before he was four years old, and at that time she did not have HIV. Additionally, the grandfather was diagnosed with HIV a year ago, and the child had stopped living with them by then. Therefore, according to this information, the child’s risk of being infected with HIV is extremely low.