zappa@violet.berkeley.edu (Bob Freeland) (12/14/90)
There has been some discussion in this newsgroup of the UC Berkeley studying linking oral sex and HIV transmission. The following article is reprinted with permission from The Berkeleyan, a UCB public relations sort of newspaper. "Study Uncovers New Information on HIV Spread" New analysis of HIV infections in San Francisco shows that the risk of HIV infection from oral intercourse between men may be greater than widely believed. Berkeley scientists reported Oct. 3 that men who participated in oral intercourse--specifically men who engaged in receptive oral intercourse--increased their chances of infection. Epidemiologist Michael Samuel, a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Health, said his data both confirm the ``paramount importance of receptive anal intercourse'' as a risk factor for HIV infection, and suggest that ``oral receptive intercourse, often reported to be of no risk, may also be risky.'' Analysis of four types of sexual practices (receptive and insertive anal intercourse, and receptive and insertive oral intercourse) reported in the study showed: --more than 50 percent of the 82 men who became infected engaged in all four practices; --34 percent of the infected men did not engage in anal receptive intercourse, but did participate in at least one of the other three behaviors; --17 percent of the infected men reported only oral intercourse, either receptive or insertive. Elevated risk was also associated with a douche or enema before anal intercourse. Regardless of sexual practice, risk of infection rose with the number of partners.