gerri@watson.ibm.com (Gerri Oppedisano) (05/30/91)
>> I know that there have been several replies to this posting >> already, however, several of these referred to *oral sex*. Is the risk >> the same for fellatio and cunnilingus? Does the risk increase >> significantly for cunnilingus during mmenstruation (or, to rephrase the >> question, >> what are the risk factors associated with the various bodily fluids)? >> The (government) agencies in England seem to class oral sex as `low >> risk', I cannot remember hearing about the risk factors associated >> with rimming. >> -chris >> -cc_s470@king.ac.uk <^>v Via SCI.MED.AIDS => AIDSNEWS gateway / aids@cs.ucla.edu I'm sorry I can't give you any exact probabilities and I'm not sure, frankly, who can but time and time again this discussion arises in this forum so from that experience (as well as some reading) I would say that no sexual contact is completely "safe". The easiest and most guarenteed way of transmission is blood-to-blood or semen-to-blood.. One could probably take almost any sexual or non-sexual act and imagine how blood-to-blood might happen or almost any sexual act and imagine semen-to-blood a possibility (i.e.imagine open soars, small cuts, etc..). Pretty reliably I've heard that the AIDS virus can not survive the stomach's acidity, thereby implying that oral sex is fairly safe. I think I'd only feel safe in saying that oral sex has a smaller possibility for getting infected than some other form of sex which would have a higher probability for blood-blood or semen-blood contact. Supposedly, a woman's bodily fluids are just as suceptible as a man's for carrying the virus if she is infected, but I'm not sure how concentrated it might be in vaginal fluids as compared to semen. Certainly, I would imagine, a woman's blood to be the same as anyone else's for carrying the AIDS virus and so oral sex on women during menstruation should probably be viewed from the same perspective as any other oral sex.. it's not completely safe. If you have a small cut in your mouth and are giving oral sex you have a possibility of blood-blood or semen/vaginal-fluid-blood contact. As with every other thing in the world that may end up putting you in danger, the risk assessment is yours.. If someone told you there is a very small chance you will get AIDS from engaging in unprotected sex, are you willing to take that chance? I don't think anyone can honestly say that there is absolutely no chance one can get AIDS from sexual acts, a,b or c. If there is any possibility of blood-to-blood or semen-to-blood or vaginal fluid-to- blood contact, there is the possibility of AIDS. Other information you might go on is how long you've known the person, what their history is, how long you have been having sex with the person, what their HIV status is today and what it was 6 months ago (6 months is the chosen time frame.. but also not a certainty).. etc.. Given all the information, you make your decision and there are no guarentees. gerri@ibm.com