Government Study Implicates Oral Sex in 8% of HIV Cases

At least 8% of all cases of HIV infection result from oral sex, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The finding is disturbing because many gay men have switched from anal to oral sex based largely on their perception that it is a safe practice. “This false assumption has led to tragic lifelong consequences,” said the centers’ Dr. Helene D. Gayle.

The study was one of several presented this week at the 7th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections looking at the risks of HIV transmission.

In the study, Dr. Beth Dillion and her colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and UC San Francisco used new tests to identify 102 San Francisco men who had recently been infected with HIV.

She said Tuesday that eight of the men practiced only oral sex without protection. If any other risky behaviors were identified by the subject, oral sex was excluded as the route of infection. But because some of the excluded cases could have been caused by oral sex, the actual percentage may be higher than 8%, she noted. Both partners are at risk in oral sex.