How safe is oral sex?
Although it is possible to become infected with HIV through oral sex, the risk of becoming infected in this way is much lower than the risk of infection via unprotected sexual intercourse with a man or woman. When giving oral sex to a man (sucking or licking a man’s penis) a person could become infected with HIV if infected semen came into contact with damaged and receding gums, or any cuts or sores they might have in their mouth. Giving oral sex to a woman (licking a woman’s vulva or vagina) is also considered relatively low risk. Transmission could take place if infected sexual fluids from a woman got into the mouth of her partner. The likelihood of infection might be increased if there is menstrual blood involved or if the woman is infected with another sexually transmitted disease. The likelihood of either a man or a woman becoming infected with HIV as a result of receiving oral sex is extremely low, as saliva does not contain infectious quantities of HIV. More information can be f
Although it is possible to become infected with HIV through oral sex, the risk of becoming infected in this way is much lower than the risk of infection via unprotected sexual intercourse with a man or woman. When giving oral sex to a man (sucking or licking a man’s penis) a person could become infected with HIV if infected semen came into contact with damaged and receding gums, or any cuts or sores they might have in their mouth.
It is possible to become infected with HIV through unprotected oral sex, although it is much safer than unprotected anal or vaginal sex. Certain factors are thought to increase the riskiness of oral sex. Receiving oral sex, or being sucked or licked, is considered a theoretical risk only. There have not been any reported cases of transmission to the person being sucked or licked. Giving oral sex (blow job) to a man has been proven to carry some risk of getting HIV, although most scientists believe the risk is relatively low. The risk increases if the person giving the blow job has any cuts or scrapes in his or her mouth, even small ones that can be caused by brushing or flossing right before sex. To have safer oral sex, avoid getting any semen in your mouth, either by pulling away before ejaculation, or by using a non-spermicidal condom. Giving oral sex to (going down on) a woman is also relatively low risk. The possibility of infection is higher if there is menstrual blood or if the w
