Posted: 2016-02-18 18:24:04
Doctors and researchers can't be sure how many people have been infected with HIV through oral sex. Some think hardly anybody has been infected with HIV from oral sex, but other people think that as many as 3% of infections are due to oral sex. In late 2008, researchers looked at all the available evidence and calculated that the risk of contracting HIV from oral sex was very low, but that it wasn't zero.
It is known that oral sex involves less risk than unprotected anal sex or unprotected vaginal sex.
The likelihood that HIV is transmitted from a person with HIV to an HIV-negative person depends on the type of contact involved. HIV is most easily transmitted by unprotected anal sex (that is, without condoms), unprotected vaginal sex, sharing injecting equipment, and from mother to baby. It also depends on the viral load of the person with HIV.
Oral sex has been shown to be a less risky activity, but it is not risk free. Again, it depends on the viral load of the person with HIV and the dental health of the person performing oral sex. It’s also worth remembering that other sexually transmitted infections, such as syphilis, herpes and gonorrhoea, can be quite easily transmitted through oral sex. If you don't use condoms, or dental dams, for oral sex, it's a good idea to have regular sexual health check-ups.
The risk of HIV being passed on during oral sex centres on fluid containing HIV (semen, vaginal fluid or blood) finding a way into the bloodstream of an HIV-negative person (via the mouth or throat, which is more likely if there is inflammation, or cuts or sores present). HIV is not passed on through exposure to saliva alone, so a person with HIV performing oral sex on someone who is HIV negative is considered to be very low risk.
The type of oral sex makes a difference to the level of risk.
HIV transmission through 'receptive fellatio', which means an HIV-negative person performing oral sex on (giving a blow job to) a man with HIV is possible and it is likely that HIV transmission happens in this way sometimes.
HIV transmission through 'insertive fellatio', which means an HIV-negative man receiving oral sex from a person with HIV, is very low risk and may be impossible.
There have been very few reports of possible HIV transmission through cunnilingus (oral sex performed on a woman). It is biologically possible that HIV could be passed on through an HIV-negative person performing oral sex on a woman with HIV, but this is considered to be low risk.
There have been no documented cases of someone being infected with HIV through receiving cunnilingus from a woman with HIV.