Oral Sex and HIV Irina Vlasopol  ACCEPT's Doctor

The first information about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dates back from the beginning of the 80s, when the two research teams from Paris (led by Professor Luc Montaigner) and the U.S.A. (led by Robert Gallo) made their findings public. Subsequent research conducted on serum preserved by freezing, drawn from patients who had died of an undiagnosed disease, demonstrated that the disease actually dated back at least from 1950.

HIV infection is specifically human and highly contagious, characterized by a long evolution, with an initial outburst resembling an acute benign disease, followed by a long period of apparent health and finally by a progressive health deterioration with a lethal end (AIDS). The infection causes a slow deterioration of the mechanisms that fight infections in the organism, which easily explains why the patient catches various casual infections, can develop tumors or suffer an impairment of the central nervous system, all triggering death.

The virus can be transmitted horizontally or vertically, as follows:
1. horizontally:
– by means of transfusion with blood or other blood by-products;
– by means of using contaminated cutting and prickling instruments;
– by means of sexual contacts – the most usual means of transmission, as there is enough virus in the vaginal secretion and in the sperm to produce the infection. Any kind of unprotected sexual contact – heterosexual, homosexual, oral, anal – can transmit the infection.
2. Vertically – from mother to fetus

It should be noted that none of the genders is immune to this disease; consequently, the risk of getting the HIV infection is equally high. At first, it was believed that HIV was spread only among homosexual persons, because the first documented cases of HIV infections were gay persons. Currently, heterosexual transmission prevails.

Oral sex is a very controversial practice from the perspective of HIV transmission. Currently, no one can state positively how high the infection risk of oral sex is. The risk appears when infected sperm and seminal or vaginal secretions enter the partner’s mouth. Cuts and small lesions in the mouth can represent entry ways for the virus. Sexual contacts can result in numerous very small lesions, unseen to the eye, through which the virus can penetrate in the organism. Still, there have been few reported cases of HIV infections by means of oral sex, which is regarded as a sexual activity with a low infection risk.

Obviously, the only recommendable solution is to prevent the infection by using the condom correctly. The main argument of all those who refuse to use it is the absence of pleasure, but HIV infection is a tragedy that does not allow for such preposterous excuses.

Another subject on which specialists seemed to have agreed was that the HIV infection cannot be transmitted by kissing. According to the theory, only saliva containing blood was contagious, such as the wet, passionate, French kiss, which could produce lesions by tongue and lip biting, which would allow the transmission, although the risk was considered to be lower than for other means of transmission. Recently, Luc Montaigner, one of the “parents” of the HIV virus, stated that the concentration of virus in saliva can be high enough to transmit the disease.

All these elements make us stop and think for a while before making any gesture. In order to be able to go on…
 
 

 
E.M. asks if the prior infection with STDs (syphilis, gonorrhea, venereal vegetations, etc.) can increase the risk of HIV infection.
- obviously, the risk of HIV transmission is higher in case of unprotected sexual contacts: the chancre, which is specific to the first stage of syphilis, venereal vegetations, which can bleed, etc. can all represent entry ways for the HIV.

T.C, asks how venereal vegetations can be treated.
- venereal vegetations are viral cutaneous  lesions that occur in the anal-genital area and are transmissible by sexual contact. Unfortunately, they can be treated only by surgery. The treatment can never said to be final. The virus remains in the affected area and can produce new lesions, as soon as the body’s immunity is lowered.

I.V. asks if there is any final treatment for gonorrhea:
- gonorrhea used to be treated with penicillin. In time, the microbe has become resistant. Other antibiotics from the same category as penicillin, only stronger, are used today. Diagnosed in time and treated correctly (the patient’s sexual partner must necessarily undergo the same treatment), gonorrhea can be cured. A subsequent infection is possible at any time, and its consequences are extremely serious for the genital system (both masculine and feminine): salpingitis, urethritis, prostatitis, impotence, sterility.