The fact that "a virus" is a parasite so small that is can infect a bacterial cell is Microbilogy 101. (see line 4 on next link)
http://www.victoriacollege.edu/~tara...es/Viruses.htm
Yes, "piggybacks" IS an appropriate way to describe this transmission. While HIV may miss it's mark when other infections are not present, STDs manifest damage that allows HIV to enter the body.
The time that a virus can live outside the body is sort of a mute point on this thread that I was off base with a little. More info provided...
http://doctorndtv.com/faq/detailfaq.asp?id=1472
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Exactly how long HIV virus survives outside the body depends on a lot of factors such as temperature, presence of fluids/moisture etc. On the other hand, HIV infected blood stored in a blood bank can remain infective for weeks or as long as the blood is adequately stored. Suffice it to say that under normal conditions, virus present in blood or other body fluids does not survive for long if the fluids dry up, or are exposed to sun or heat. This time is a matter of hours at most. Dried blood stains on instruments such as knives or scissors would not expect to have viable HIV after the stains are thoroghly dry whether the instruments were stored in a cupboard or in the open. As far as your accidental exposure to a blood stained scissor, please do not worry as there is no chance that you would be infected.
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http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../15480167.html
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"Individuals who are infected with STDs are at least two to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire HIV if exposed to the virus through sexual contact," reads a statement on the Centers for Disease Control's online STD prevention page.
Conversely, a person with HIV is more infectious -- more likely to infect others through sexual contact -- when he or she also has untreated STDs.
The way the CDC report puts it, "Men who are infected with both gonorrhea and HIV are more than twice as likely to shed HIV in their genital secretions than are those who are infected only with HIV. Moreover, the median concentration of HIV in semen is as much as 10 times higher in men who are infected with both gonorrhea and HIV, than in men infected only with HIV."
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http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/stdgon.htm
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If you are infected with gonorrhea, your risk of getting HIV infection increases (HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, causes AIDS). Therefore, it is extremely important for you to either prevent yourself from getting gonorrhea or get treated early if you already are infected with it.
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http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/news/keepthis.htm
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There is now strong evidence that other STDs increase the risk of HIV transmission and, conversely, that STD treatment reduces the spread of HIV.
Epidemiological studies: Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that people are 2-5 times more likely to become infected with HIV when other STDs are present.
Biological studies: Biological studies suggest both increased susceptibility to HIV infection and increased likelihood of infecting other people when other STDs are present.
a) Increased susceptibility - STDs that cause genital lesions can create a portal of entry for HIV. And even without lesions, STDs increase the number of HIV target cells (CD4 cells) in cervical secretions, thereby likely increasing HIV susceptibility in women.
b) Increased infectiousness - Studies have demonstrated that co-infection with HIV and other STDs results both in more shedding of HIV and in greater concentrations of HIV being shed. For example, in African studies, co-infection with gonorrhea and HIV more than doubles the proportion of HIV-infected individuals with HIV RNA detectable in genital secretions. Furthermore, the median concentration of HIV RNA in semen is dramatically increased in co-infected men compared with men infected with HIV alone.
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