Getting aids from oral sex

We hope not—but it's worth asking a gynecologist for the facts. Eighty-five percent of women have been on the receiving end of oral sex , according to a national study released over the summer. That's equal to the number of guys who have received oral sex as well. Based on the study results, it stands to reason that oral pleasure is a standard part of most couples' sexual repertoire. But even though the practice is so widespread, there's not a lot of clear information out there about the potential health risks if you're getting, not giving.

The risk of HIV through unprotected anal intercourse is seen to be extremely high, as much 18 times greater than vaginal intercourse. Furthermore, the secretion of blood from damaged rectal tissues can increase the risk for the insertive "top" partner, providing the virus a route of transmission through the urethra and tissues that line the head of the penis particularly under the foreskin. In their review of 16 different high-quality studies, researchers at the Imperial College and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine concluded that the per-act risk of HIV through condomless anal sex was roughly around 1. The risk of transmission was further increased if the insertive partner was uncircumcised 0. By contrast, the per-partner risk —in which an HIV-positive person is in an exclusive relationship with an HIV-negative partner—painted a somewhat clearer picture for both the receptive and insertive partners.

Oral sex is sex that involves the mouth and the penis, vagina, or anus butt hole. Some other words for different kinds of oral sex are "blow job," "giving head," "going down on," "eating out," "sucking," "cunnilingus," or "rimming. There are a few known cases of people getting HIV from giving oral sex licking or sucking. There are no known cases of someone getting HIV from receiving oral sex being licked or sucked.

While the number of people living with HIV may seem astronomical, the number of new diagnoses has actually been stable since , thanks to advances in the world of HIV prevention. Improved education has also played a role in stabilizing rates—people now know more about keeping themselves safe than ever before. These factors are literally saving lives.