First and rare case of female-to-female HIV transmission confirmed in USA by CDC

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Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have published details of a rare case of suspected female-to-female HIV infection. HIV (seen in red) is rarely transmitted between women through sexual contact. Here is the story; A 46-year-old woman "likely acquired" the virus during a six-month monogamous relationship with a HIV-positive woman in Texas. She was infected with a strain that had a 98% genetic match to her partner's. The virus can be transmitted when bodily fluids come into contact with cuts, abrasions and mucus membranes. "In this case, the discordant couple [one HIV-infected partner and one uninfected partner] routinely had direct sexual contact - without using barrier methods for protection - that involved the exchange of blood through abrasions received during sexual activity," the CDC said. The originally uninfected partner is said to have had a history of heterosexual relationships but none during the past 10 years. She also had none of the other HIV exposure risks, including intravenous drug use. Her partner, a 43-year-old woman, had stopped taking antiretroviral drugs in 2010.