How Safe Is Oral Sex?

When it comes to HIV, not all acts of sex are equal. Some of them carry a greater risk of passing on the virus than others. While oral sex doesn’t have as high a risk as other types of sexual activity, that doesn’t mean the risk is completely zero. Here’s everything you need to know about getting or performing oral sex if there’s a risk of contracting HIV. What The Statistics Say Before getting into the numbers, it’s important to note that it’s not always easy to establish statistics for oral sex because it’s rare for people to only engage in it. Typically, they will also engage in other forms of sexual activity as well. Nevertheless, there is some data available depending on if the infected person is giving or receiving oral sex.  For example, if the non-infected person performs oral sex on the HIV-positive person’s penis, the odds of contracting the virus is about 0.04 percent. However, if the HIV-positive person performs oral sex, the risk is much lower because studies show that the saliva in the mouth generally neutralizes the virus particles.  The risks are also low typically low for cunnilingus whether or not the HIV-positive person is...