Can I get HIV from oral sex?
(Courtesy CDC,
Atlanta Georgia)Yes,
it is possible for either partner to become infected with
HIV through performing or receiving oral sex. There have
been a few cases of HIV transmission from performing oral
sex on a person infected with HIV. While no one knows
exactly what the degree of risk is, evidence suggests that
the risk is less than that of unprotected anal or vaginal
sex.
If the person performing
oral sex has HIV, blood from their mouth may enter the body
of the person receiving oral sex through
- the lining of the
urethra (the opening at the tip of the penis);
- the lining of the
vagina or cervix;
- the lining of the
anus; or
- directly into the body
through small cuts or open sores.
If the person receiving
oral sex has HIV, their blood, semen (cum), pre-seminal
fluid (pre-cum), or vaginal fluid may contain the virus.
Cells lining the mouth of the person performing oral sex may
allow HIV to enter their body.
The risk of HIV
transmission increases
- if the person
performing oral sex has cuts or sores around or in their
mouth or throat;
- if the person
receiving oral sex ejaculates in the mouth of the person
performing oral sex; or
- if the person
receiving oral sex has another sexually transmitted
disease (STD).
Not having (abstaining
from) sex is the most effective way to avoid HIV.
If you choose to perform
oral sex, and your partner is male,
- use a latex condom on
the penis; or
- if you or your partner
is allergic to latex, plastic (polyurethane) condoms can
be used.
Studies have shown that
latex condoms are very effective, though not perfect, in
preventing HIV transmission when used correctly and
consistently. If either partner is allergic to latex,
plastic (polyurethane) condoms for either the male or female
can be used. For more information about latex condoms, see "Male
Latex Condoms and Sexually Transmitted Diseases."
If you choose to have
oral sex, and your partner is female,
- use a latex barrier
(such as a natural rubber latex sheet, a dental dam or a
cut-open condom that makes a square) between your mouth
and the vagina. A latex barrier such as a dental dam
reduces the risk of blood or vaginal fluids entering
your mouth. Plastic food wrap also can be used as a
barrier.
If you choose to perform
oral sex with either a male or female partner and this sex
includes oral contact with your partners anus (analingus or
rimming),
- use a latex barrier
(such as a natural rubber latex sheet, a dental dam or a
cut-open condom that makes a square) between your mouth
and the anus. Plastic food wrap also can be used as a
barrier.
If you choose to share
sex toys with your partner, such as dildos or vibrators,
- each partner should
use a new condom on the sex toy; and
- be sure to clean sex
toys between each use.
(Courtesy
CDC, Atlanta Georgia)
For more information visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faqs.htm
Oral Sex
and the Risk of HIV Transmission
(Courtesy:
www.avert.org)
The risk of
HIV transmission from an infected partner through oral sex
is much smaller than the risk of HIV transmission from anal
or vaginal sex. Because of this, measuring the exact risk of
HIV transmission as a result of oral sex is very difficult.
In addition, since most sexually active individuals practice
oral sex in addition to other forms of sex, such as vaginal
and/or anal sex, when transmission occurs, it is difficult
to determine whether or not it occurred as a result of oral
sex or other more risky sexual activities. Finally, several
co-factors can increase the risk of HIV transmission through
oral sex, including: oral ulcers, bleeding gums, genital
sores, and the presence of other STDs.
When scientists describe
the risk of transmitting an infectious disease, like HIV,
the term "theoretical risk" is often used. Very simply,
"theoretical risk" means that passing an infection from one
person to another is possible, even though there may not yet
be any actual documented cases. "Theoretical risk" is not
the same as likelihood. In other words, stating that HIV
infection is "theoretically possible" does not necessarily
mean it is likely to happen-only that it might. Documented
risk, on the other hand, is used to describe transmission
that has actually occurred, been investigated, and
documented in the scientific literature.
Various scientific studies
have been performed around the world to try and document and
study instances of HIV transmission through oral sex. A
programme in San Francisco studied 198 people, nearly all
gay or bisexual men. The subjects stated that they had only
had oral sex for a year, from six months preceding the
six-month study to its end. 20 per cent of the study
participants, 39 people, reported performing oral sex on
partners they knew to be HIV positive. 35 of those did not
use a condom and 16 reported swallowing cum. No-one became
HIV positive during the study. Due to the low number of
unprotected serodiscordant pairings, all that can be said is
that there was a less than 2.8 per cent chance of infection
through oral sex over a year. In 2000, a different San
Francisco study of gay men who had recently acquired HIV
infection found that 7.8 per cent of these infections were
attributed to oral sex. However, the results of the study
have since been called into question due to the reliability
of the participant's data.
In June 2002, a study
conducted amongst 135 HIV-negative Spanish heterosexuals,
who were in a sexual relationship with a person who was
HIV-positive, reported that over 19,000 instances of
unprotected oral sex had not lead to any cases of HIV
transmission. The study also looked at contributing factors
that could effect the potential transmission of HIV through
oral sex. They monitored viral load and asked questions such
as whether ejaculation in the mouth occurred and how good
oral health was. Amongst HIV-positive men, 34 per cent had
ejaculated into the mouths of their partners. Viral load
levels were available for 60 people in the study, 10 per
cent of whom had levels over 10,000 copies. Nearly 16 per
cent of the HIV-positive people had CD4 counts below 200.
The study, conducted over a ten year period between 1990 and
2000, adds to the growing number of studies which suggest
varying levels of risk of HIV transmission from oral sex
when compared to anal or vaginal intercourse.
At the 4th International
Oral AIDS Conference held in South Africa, the risk of
transmission through oral sex was estimated to be
approximately 0.04 per cent per contact. This percentage
figure is a lot lower than the two American figures, because
this figure is a risk per contact percentage, whereas the
other figures are percentage risks over much longer time
periods. Oral sex is still regarded as a low-risk sexual
activity in terms of HIV transmission, but only when more
work is done will we be clearer as to the risks of oral sex.
Theoretical and Documented
Risk of HIV Transmission During Oral-Penile Contact
Theoretical:
In fellatio, there is a
theoretical risk of transmission for the receptive
partner (the person who is sucking) because infected
pre-ejaculate ("pre-cum") fluid or semen can get into
the mouth. For the insertive partner (the person who is
being sucked), there is a theoretical risk of infection
because infected blood from a partner's bleeding gums or
an open sore could come in contact with a scratch, cut,
or sore on the penis.
Documented:
Although the risk is
many times smaller than anal or vaginal sex, HIV has
been transmitted to receptive partners through fellatio,
even in cases when insertive partners didn't ejaculate
("cum")
Theoretical and Documented
Risk of HIV Transmission During Oral-Vaginal Contact
Theoretical:
Cunnilingus carries a
theoretical risk of HIV transmission for the insertive
partner (the person who is licking or sucking the
vaginal area) because infected vaginal fluids and blood
can get into the mouth. (This includes, but is not
limited to, menstrual blood.) Likewise, there is a
theoretical risk of HIV transmission during cunnilingus
for the receptive partner (the person who is having her
vagina licked or sucked) if infected blood from oral
sores or bleeding gums comes into contact with vulvar or
vaginal cuts or sores.
Documented:
The risk of HIV
transmission during cunnilingus is extremely low
compared to vaginal and anal sex. However, there have
been a few cases of HIV transmission most likely
resulting from oral-vaginal sex.
Theoretical and Documented
Risk of HIV Transmission During Oral-Anal Contact
Theoretical:
Anilingus carries a
theoretical risk of transmission for the insertive
partner (the person who is licking or sucking the anus)
if there is exposure to infected blood, either through
bloody fecal matter (bodily waste) or cuts/sores in the
anal area. Anilingus carries a theoretical risk to the
receptive partner (the person who is being
licked/sucked) if infected blood in saliva comes in
contact with anal/rectal lining.
Documented:
There has been one
published case of HIV transmission associated with
oral-anal sexual contact.
Other STDs Can Also Be
Transmitted Through Oral Sex
Scientists have documented
a number of other sexually transmitted diseases that have
also been transmitted through oral sex. Herpes, syphilis,
gonorrhea, genital warts (HPV), intestinal parasites (amebiasis),
and hepatitis A are examples of STDs which can be
transmitted during oral sex with an infected partner.
for
more information
http://www.avert.org/orlsx.htm
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