North Carolina EMT State Practice Exam

What is considered the primary way of contracting a bloodborne disease?

1. By sharing needles

2. By sexual intercourse

3. Through contaminated water

4. Using unsterilized instruments

The correct answer is: By sexual intercourse

The primary way of contracting a bloodborne disease is through sharing needles. Bloodborne diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, are typically transmitted when infected blood enters the bloodstream of another person. Sharing needles creates a direct pathway for this transmission, as the needles can carry infected blood directly from one person to another. While sexual intercourse can also be a mode of transmission for certain bloodborne pathogens, it primarily involves the exchange of bodily fluids rather than direct blood exchange. This makes sharing needles a more direct and significant route for contracting many bloodborne diseases. Contaminated water is not a primary manner in which bloodborne viruses are transferred; instead, it is typically associated with waterborne diseases. Using unsterilized instruments can lead to infections as well, but it is less common than sharing needles in the context of bloodborne disease transmission specifically.