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We receive very many enquiries every day on the subject of HIV risk and whether a particular activity, sexual or otherwise, might lead to infection with HIV.
Most of these enquiries are questions about very low risk to zero risk activities, some not involving any sexual activity at all.
One of the commonest questions is about the risks associated with having oral sex. It seems from current knowledge and reporting that oral sex represents a very small to zero risk of HIV transmission. Please remember that we are talking ONLY about HIV here and not Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis etc which are much more easily transmissible.
Oral sex represents a negligible to very low risk of transmission because of a number of different complimentary factors. These include the fact that cells lining the mouth and throat tend to be resistant to HIV infection; that saliva contains HIV inhibitory enzymes; and that the chemical composition of saliva interferes with the chemistry inside cells which do become infected.
Of course, there are factors which may increase the likelihood of infection and these include very poor oral hygiene with lots of damaged areas inside the mouth; a high viral load in the semen of the male being sucked (this is highest usually when primary HIV infection is present - i.e. in the few months after initial infection); presence of other diseases, particularly diseases which damage the oral lining.
