HIV can be transmitted from mother to fetus, but this is transmission and not inheritance. This happens because HIV is found in the blood, semen, vaginal secretions, chest and abdominal fluids, cerebrospinal fluid and breast milk of HIV patients. Therefore, if a mother is infected with HIV, she can be infected through the placenta during pregnancy, or through childbirth during a normal delivery or cesarean section, or through breastfeeding. Mother-to-child transmission is an important route of HIV transmission, and many children are infected with HIV through such behavior. However, HIV is not usually transmitted through handshakes, shared meals, sweat, or respiratory tracts.