The dictionary states the definition as âin a literal way or senseâ but adds that, informally, it can be âused for emphasis rather than being actually trueâ such as âwe were literally killing ourselves laughingâ. The definition was added in the September 2011 edition, but went unnoticed until this week.
Strictly speaking, it is not AIDS but HIV that spreads through blood, semen and from a mother to child. Mosquitoes cannot transmit HIV for two reasons. Firstly, when the mosquito bites with its probosis, it draws blood and injects saliva, which contains antiviral factors and immunoglobulins and hence cannot transmit HIV. The blood from one person is not injected into the mosquito's next victim.
In this Article. 1  I can get HIV by being around people who are HIV-positive. 2  Mosquitoes spread HIV. 3  You can't get HIV from oral sex.  I'm straight and don't use IV 1  drugs. I could tell if my partner was HIV-positive.  I don't need to worry about getting 1  HIV. I'm HIV-positive.  If I'm getting treatment, I can't spread the virus.