Not sharing toothbrushes, even with close family members, is an essential concept for health, wellness, and overall good hygiene, irregardless of whether someone has HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C or some other blood-borne illness. Most people are turned off at the mention of someone using their toothbrush, even a spouse; the toothbrush is a very "personal" item, not meant to be shared.

Many bacteria and viruses are present in the mouth; these germs are transferred to the toothbrush and then have a nice moist place to multiply. For this reason it is recommended that the toothbrush be replaced after someone is treated for strep throat or some other serious throat infection. If a person has an outbreak of oral herpes, it would be prudent to change the toothbrush once the active lesions are healed, just as it is recommended by the CDC to change the toothbrush when it is visibly soiled with blood and at least once each month, no matter what.

It must be emphasized that transmission of HIV or Hepatitis from a toothbrush is a very improbable event; there needs to be visible blood on the brush in order to transmit the viruses (they are not transmitted in plain saliva or oral secretions). If there were visible blood on the brush, I would think that even one who had considered picking up another's toothbrush would be turned off...

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