Oral Sex: Who can eat HIV and survive!

Last time I dwelt on how HIV infects the vaginal or penile walls. A question that is always hovering in many discussions is whether HIV can be transmitted through oral sex.

First of all we need to understand that oral sex can be classified as receptive, meaning the act of inserting one’s penis into another partner’s mouth with ejaculation and also non-receptive meaning without ejaculation.

Is HIV transmissible without ejaculation?

There are studies which have shown that HIV can be transmitted through the anal route without ejaculation, however the cases that have been reported are very very rare. This is because it has been difficult to engage in studies where the subjects are controlled from ejaculation. Thus, it remains hard to clearly conclude whether HIV can transmitted orally without ejaculation. Please do not take this as a go-ahead to engage in unprotected oral sex because it has been proved that pre-cum also is potentially contagious!

… but what of receptive oral sex?

There is reasonable scientific evidence that HIV can be transmitted through receptive fellatio (oral sex). It has been shown in monkeys that if you expose their tonsillar tissue to SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus which is nearly the same as HIV), the monkeys can be infected.

Data is also there about the histological make up of the animal tissues of the tonsils. The histology of the tonsillar tissue is identical to the histology of the vaginal and rectal tissue with high density of dendritic cells (which we talked about in the previous post) and M-cells which are also capable of transporting antigens (or viral matter) to lymphoid tissue resulting in infection.

This is just scientific evidence but it has been hard to actually pinpoint receptive oral sex as a major transmission route. This is so because, most people do not practice oral sex in isolation but mostly in conjunction with other riskier practices like receptive anal and vaginal sex.

Epidemiological studies have classified the risk of receptive oral sex as low, however the risk increases significantly if there are injuries to the mouth or in cases of oral thrush.

Let me end by saying, swallow the sperm at you own risk! Let’s meet in the next topic:
Two weeks of breeding and feeding the virus!