How long can HIV survive outside the human body?

Generally, the fragile nature of the virus prevents it from surviving for a substantial amount of time in the open air.  The length of time HIV can survive outside the body is dependent on the amount of HIV present in the body fluid and the conditions the fluid is subjected to.

HIV is fragile and many common substances such as hot liquid, soap, bleach, alcohol and the gastric juices found within your stomach can destroy the virus.

The only studies on the survival of HIV outside the body have been conducted in the laboratory under controlled scientific conditions.  These studies found HIV is not affected by extreme cold, but it is inactivated by heat and is destroyed after 30 minutes at 60 degrees celsius.

Scientific studies have also found that HIV can sometimes survive in dry blood at room temperature for up to six days.  It is extremely difficult to assess exactly the length of survival of HIV outside the body in a non-laboratory setting.

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