Can I get AIDS from sharing diving equipment?

HIV/AIDS is the disease that most divers are concerned about when renting dive gear.  This is certainly understandable, considering the devastating effects of the disease.  However, HIV/AIDS is not a strong virus when it comes to living outside of the body as it generally only survives for a few minutes and is not strong in saliva.  It is also easily killed by using soap and disinfectants.  The virus is more easily transmitted through an infected person's blood. Approximately 1/3 of divers have a small amount of blood in their masks at the end of a dive, usually from their sinuses and, as such, is a cause for concern, but with proper cleaning and sterilization of equipment the chances of getting HIV/AIDS through the use of rental equipment is extremely low.