Injection, skin abrasion, sexual contact, and exposure to ________ of an infected person are the main ways you can become infected with a bloodborne pathogen.

• A. contaminated sharps
• B. airborne droplets
• C. contaminated water
• D. surface contact

Answer: (A)

Bloodborne pathogens spread mainly through contact with infected blood or body fluids when there’s a break in the skin or a mucous membrane. Injection injuries, skin abrasions, and sexual contact are clear ways these pathogens can enter the body. The missing route that completes the common transmission pathways is exposure to contaminated sharps—sharp objects like needles or scalpels that have blood from an infected person on them. This creates a direct entry point for infection.

Airborne droplets and contaminated water are associated with other kinds of infections, not the typical bloodborne ones, and surface contact is less direct since infection usually requires contact with blood or body fluids rather than just touching a contaminated surface. So, contaminated sharps best fits the mode of transmission described.