An investigation of new HIV infections in San Francisco has revealed that even using the most stringent criteria, 8% of infections can be attributed to oral sex.
The findings reinforce concerns amongst clinicians and prevention workers that many gay men may be underestimating the HIV transmission risk of oral sex.
The study involved 122 infections identified in San Francisco between 1996 and 1999, of which 20 were attributed to oral sex by the infected individuals. When doctors questioned patients more closely, 12 cases were excluded because HIV exposure through unprotected anal intercourse could not be ruled out. However, eight men had no other potential risk factors, and all said that they viewed oral sex as carrying little or no risk for HIV infection.
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Dillon B et al. Primary HIV infections associated with oral transmission. Abstract 473, Seventh Conference on Retroviruses, San Francisco, 2000.