HIV/AIDS Articles

Can Oral Sex Transmit HIV Virus?

by Francis K. Githinji

HIV and AIDS virus has become a topic of concern among many since it raised its ugly head. People live with fear of infection. It is all around us. It has made the act of sex regrettable to many. The plague is so real and people are always suspecting themselves or others. If you are not infected you are affected in one way or another. The careless way of life has taken a back bench. Many have named oral sex as a safer practice compared to anal and vaginal sex. The chances of contracting HIV virus through oral sex are minimal but not nil. Oral sex and HIV virus are slightly related but it all depends with the exposure. The fluids which are known to harbor the virus are evidently present during oral sex. Sexual awareness cum HIV education is necessary since we know that ignorance is a sure avenue to the grave. I want to explain why you might transmit HIV and AIDS through oral sex. This will encourage safe oral sex.

Saliva, breast milk, semen and blood are the fluids which contain the virus. When an uninfected person comes into contact with the fluids infection occurs. During oral sex, the saliva and the semen are the two most interactive fluids. This brings up the concern about Oral sex and HIV virus. In some cases, the blood is also present if enough safety precautions are not taken. If for example the giver of the oral sex has a wound in the mouth, the semen and the blood will come into contact. This is a direct transmission. On the other hand if their are no wounds in the mouth as well as in the private parts, saliva alone cannot transmit HIV and Aids. The inhibitory factor present in saliva is responsible for this good work. According to some study at the university of Texas, the factor inhibits the white blood cells (lymphocytes) from being infected by the HIV-1 infection.

Oral sex shows a low risk of transmission especially through saliva. The research proved isolation of HIV-1 virus from human oral fluids. Saliva from infected people was taken and mixed with the virus. The mixture was then incubated for one hour. The saliva protected by all means the infection of the white blood cells which forms the base of the defense mechanism. This clearly sends the message that saliva only contains the HIV virus but is not a good medium for replication. Hope you are getting the connection between oral sex and HIV virus. During the experiment, the saliva was diluted by 50% but still maintained the inhibitory power.

Oral sex through saliva was cleared from the list of the sexual activities which can transmit HIV and AIDS credit to the inhibitory factor. This displays common characteristics of a pharmacological agent. The saliva can actually be studied to reveal its potentiality of forming an antiviral product. In cases where HIV and AIDS transmission was associated to saliva, it was not through oral sex. The many cases studied for oral sex and HIV virus conclude that it is comparatively less risky to contract the virus through oral sex. Their is a case where HIV positive babies infected their Virus free mothers. "How is that" many might wonder but the cracks on the nipples of the mother and the teething process in the baby might be the root cause of transmission. Most of the studies have revealed that the anal and vaginal transmission occur through the white blood cells contained in the secretions.

About the Author

Francis K. Githinji is a online dating expert. His latest project Oral Sex And HIV Virus shows how the power of online dating can be harnessed internationally and with great success, or you could post your valued comments on his blog at Oral Sex And HIV Virus.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Francis_K_Githinji

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