Risk in theory??

[worriedsaint]

I have been reading this forum from some days and I must say, this is the only place where I could find some solace because of my risky encounter with a CSW. Well...I'm not here to discuss my issues, however, I would like to ask a few questions, which might shed some light on two of the most frequently asked questions here.
1. Unprotected oral Sex seems to be most oft repeated question here. Most of the experts here and many doctors agree that it is a very "low risk" or "no risk" or "theoretical risk" situation. CDC says, it is possible to contract HIV through oral sex, although the chances are very remote. So, assuming, its possible in "theory" to contract HIV through oral sex, how "sick" the other person has to be ? My questions are:
(a) Does the person performing oral sex has to be bleeding too much and a lot of blood needs to come in contact with the head of penis?
(b) What if the person performing oral sex has minor bleeding (you know the kind of bleeding that happens some time after brushing)? What if a very small amount of blood comes in contact with the penis? Is it still a risk?
(c) If someone can answer how HIV can contract through HIV in "theory", it would probably soothe a lot of nerves here.
2. Fingering or Masturbation with an open wound: I read it somewhere that HIV virus does not affect all the cells. It affects only certain cells which are not exposed in minor cuts in your finger. So, to contract HIV through fingering, does the person's wound need to be really exposed and bleedi

[worriedsaint]

Thanks mate!
I guess I value what ya say more than all these journals combined, but nevertheless, it feels good to know that a large number of medical professionals also think likewise.
Thanks a ton!

[Teak]

It's called scientific research and studies.

No incident HIV infections among MSM who practice exclusively oral sex.
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WePpC2072)??Balls JE, Evans JL, Dilley J, Osmond D, Shiboski S, Shiboski C, Klausner J, McFarland W, Greenspan D, Page-Shafer K?University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States

Oral transmission of HIV, reality or fiction? An update
J Campo1, MA Perea1, J del Romero2, J Cano1, V Hernando2, A Bascones1
Oral Diseases (2006) 12, 219–228

AIDS: Volume 16(17) 22 November 2002 pp 2350-2352
Risk of HIV infection attributable to oral sex among men who have sex with men and in the population of men who have sex with men

Page-Shafer, Kimberlya,b; Shiboski, Caroline Hb; Osmond, Dennis Hc; Dilley, Jamesd; McFarland, Willie; Shiboski, Steve Cc; Klausner, Jeffrey De; Balls, Joycea; Greenspan, Deborahb; Greenspan
Page-Shafer K, Veugelers PJ, Moss AR, Strathdee S, Kaldor JM, van Griensven GJ. Sexual risk behavior and risk factors for HIV-1 seroconversion in homosexual men participating in the Tricontinental Seroconverter Study, 1982-1994 [published erratum appears in Am J Epidemiol 1997 15 Dec; 146(12):1076]. Am J Epidemiol 1997, 146:531-542.

Studies which show the fallacy of relying on anecdotal evidence as opposed to carefully controlled study insofar as HIV transmission risk is concerned:

Jenicek M. "Clinical Case Reporting" in Evidence-Based Medicine. Oxford: Butterworth–Heinemann; 1999:117

Saltzman SP, Stoddard AM, McCusker J, Moon MW, Mayer KH. Reliability of self-reported sexual behavior risk factors for HIV infection in homosexual men. Public Health Rep. 1987 102(6):692–697.Nov–Dec;

Catania JA, Gibson DR, Chitwood DD, Coates TJ. Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior. Psychol Bull. 1990 Nov;108(3):339–362.



There is no debate (among experts) about the HIV risks associated with oral sex. The risk is so low that almost nobody who cares for HIV infected patients has ever had a patient believed to have been infected that way. Among experts, it's a semantic issue about using terms like "no risk" and "very low risk". There is no difference between my or Dr. Hook's use of "low risk" and other experts' "no risk".
DR. HANSFIELD

"And oral sex is basically safe sex -- completely safe with respect to HIV and although not zero risk for other STDs, the chance of infection is far lower than for unprotected vaginal or anal sex. Please educate yourself about the real risks. If you stick with oral sex and condom-protected vaginal or anal sex, you have no HIV worries and very little worry about other STDs. " DR HANSFIELD

"I am sure you can find lots of people who belive that HIV is transmitted by oral sex, but you will not find scientific data to support this unrealistic concern..." DR HOOK
"HIV is not spread by touching, masturbation, oral sex or condom protected sex."- DR. HOOK

in the public HIV Prevention forum of MedHelp, TEAK and the other moderators maintain that oral sex in all forms is a zero risk activity. Would you agree with this assessment?
I TOTALLY AGREE / DR GARCIA

"The observation on thousand and thousand of observations is that HIV is not spread by oral sex (of any sort)." DR HOOK

[worriedsaint]

Thanks teak for your quick answer. I understand what you are saying, but if CDC says, its a risk, however remote, it still has to be a risk. I just want to understand, how can one contract HIV through oral sex?