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There are ways to prevent an HIV transmission; the best way to do it is to practice safe sex. Of course, condoms have always been the mainstay when it comes to preventing HIV transmission or any other STDs, even female condom for that matter comes in handy. But there are sex practices people indulge in to reduce chances of an HIV transmission thinking it will reduce chances of an HIV transmission like oral sex. We are not completely denying the fact that oral sex has a low-risk of HIV transmission, but having oral sex instead of penetrative sex isn t advisable for preventing HIV/AIDS, especially if you are not taking any precaution.
Back to basics
HIV spreads from one person to the other through the medium of contact. The HIV virus is present in the vaginal secretions (female sexual fluids), cum and pre-cum (male sexual fluids) and blood. The main way in which the virus can be transmitted is through penetrative unprotected sex (anal or vaginal sex) and using injections with used needles that have traces of the infected blood or body fluid.
In oral sex, the saliva and the sexual fluids are involved. While there is no penetration, pleasure is given by the mouth by licking, sucking and biting the genitals. The risk for a transmission is low but it increases if either of the partners has bleeding gums, mouth ulcers, gum disease, genital sores or other STDs.
Here are ways in which you can get an HIV infection through oral sex:
1. HIV negative woman giving oral sex to an HIV positive man
If the woman is taking the male genitals in her mouth and the man is HIV positive, the woman might get the virus if she takes the man s ejaculate matter and it comes in contact with an open ulcer, bleeding gums or open sores in her mouth. So, if the semen enters the woman s bloodstream through a cut or sores her chances of getting HIV increases manifolds. Also, if the man is suffering from any other STD like syphilis, herpes, gonorrhoea, and human papillomavirus (HPV), there are chances that the woman will suffer from the same. Here are some heartbreaking facts of women suffering from HIV/AIDS in India.
2. HIV positive woman giving oral sex to an HIV negative man
In this case, however, the man still has no risk or very low risk of getting the infection. If the HIV positive woman has cuts and sores in her mouth there is very less of a chance that it can get mixed with the man s body fluid or blood. Even if the man ejaculates in her mouth, still the blood from her mouth won t be able to reach the bloodstream of the man s, unless the man has open sores in the genital area, which acts as a gateway for the woman s infected blood to enter his bloodstream, while she is in the act. However, this is a very rare case.
3: HIV negative man giving oral sex to HIV positive woman
If the man is HIV negative and comes in contact with the vaginal fluid of the HIV positive woman during oral sex, the only way he can get the virus is if the woman s vaginal discharge gets into his bloodstream through cuts or open sores in his mouth. Even bleeding gums increase his chances of transmission manifold. Another way an HIV negative man can get an infection from an HIV positive woman during oral sex is when he goes down on her while she is menstruating. The menstrual blood, in this case, will also be infected with HIV and if it gets into the man s bloodstream through a cut or sore in his mouth an HIV infection will be inevitable. Sometimes, you might also get an infection while using a condom and having sex with an HIV positive woman.
4: HIV positive man giving oral sex to HIV negative woman
Now, here there are quite high chances of the woman acquiring an infection during oral sex, especially if the man has gum diseases or open cuts in the mouth. The blood and fluid mixed in saliva when comes in contact with the female genitals there is a chance that the infected saliva could enter the vaginal cavity and thus the virus gets transmitted.
5: HIV positive man giving oral sex to HIV positive woman and vice versa
If you are on ART medications that treat HIV and prevent the growth of the virus and slows down the progress of the disease AIDS, in such situation practicing oral sex where either partner have cuts, sores or bleeding gums increases the risk of further virus transmission. This could make it worse for people on ART as the virus load might negate the effect of the medication.
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