Today, more than ever, the problem of HIV is acute. Despite active propaganda, the risk of infection only increases, as there are more people infected every day. Thematic meetings are held annually in educational institutions, leaflets and booklets are distributed, program cycles are issued, but statistics are ruthless. About 40 million people today are living with a diagnosis of HIV. The probability of meeting a virus carrier is high. Moreover, he himself may not yet know the diagnosis. Therefore, it is extremely important to consider all the possible routes of transmission of the disease. Do you know whether it is possible to get HIV through screaming? Many are already beginning to doubt the completeness of their knowledge regarding this issue. Let's study together the possible ways of getting the immunodeficiency virus into the blood.
What is HIV?
Despite the abundance of information, it will be useful to go over the theory again. So, the immunodeficiency virus is the scourge of the 20th century. He does not live in the environment and dies without a carrier within a few seconds. However, in the needle cavity, where the remains of human blood are stored, it can live up to 5 days. When it enters the bloodstream, HIV infects immune cells and deprives the body of the ability to withstand various bacteria and viruses.
With proper treatment, an HIV-positive person can live a normal life. If treatment was stopped and the number of viruses in the blood increased, and the immune cells decreased, we can talk about the onset of the AIDS stage. This is a reversible condition. With proper correction, the stage of AIDS may not occur at all, although the disease cannot be cured.
Oral contact
Let's make a short excursion into sexology. This term means that a person uses his mouth, tongue and lips to stimulate the partner's genitals. There are various types of manipulations that have their own names. Many couples practice a similar way to obtain sexual release, especially since the risk of an unwanted pregnancy can be avoided.
Your safety
In fact, there are infections that are more likely to be transmitted to a partner through oral caresses. However, this method remains safer than unprotected vaginal contact. At the same time, there is a risk only for the host partner, who performs manipulations with other people's genitals. In this case, secrets that are the sources of various pathogens fall into his oral cavity. There is practically no risk for a passive partner, since it only contacts the oral cavity, and not with genital fluids. Therefore, if the partner is not permanent, reliable and proven, you should think about remedies.
Most often, during oral sex, you can get genital herpes, gonorrhea, or syphilis. Speaking about HIV, there is no evidence that transmission in this way has ever happened. However, a combination of circumstances, wounds in the oral cavity can play against you. It is also theoretically possible to transmit hepatitis, genital warts and pubic lice. However, with unprotected vaginal and anal sex, the risk is much higher, so you should weigh the pros and cons.
Different opinions
In fact, the issue is quite relevant, especially when you consider that oral sex in modern society is no longer something unrealistic. It’s kind of like not quite a betrayal. If sexual partners are selected according to a number of criteria, then the attitude to oral sex is more frivolous. And usually, much later, the thought comes to my mind whether it is possible to get HIV through oral sex. In fact, the transmission of the virus is very well studied, so you need to get acquainted with reliable sources, and all doubts will be dispelled.
Life outside the host virus
The answer to this question is very important if we want to find out whether it is possible to get HIV through oral sex. It is known that the virus lives outside the body for a very short amount of time. What is considered to be "outside"? This is primarily without contact with blood. If the situation was different, then it would be possible to become infected by domestic means. However, this does not happen. Until now, such cases have not been reported in medical practice.
However, let’s take a real example. Syringe with blood of an infected person, how long can a virus from a needle be dangerous? It depends on a number of factors. From the amount of blood in the syringe and the ambient temperature. Under favorable conditions, it can remain active for up to several days. We will definitely come to the answer to the basic question of whether it is possible to get HIV through oral sex, but first we will make another digression.
Transfer risks
This is probably known to everyone, but it will never be harmful to repeat it. HIV is transmitted through blood and semen, as well as vaginal secretions. However, infection occurs when they enter the body of an uninfected person. That is, the leading is the blood-to-blood contact. Therefore, speaking about whether it is possible to get HIV orally, it should be said that there is a risk, but it is not too big. But it will not be superfluous to worry about health.
It is possible that the mother of her unborn child becomes infected with HIV. Moreover, he can become infected already in the process of passing through the birth canal. Once again, we give a classification of all methods of transmission of infection.
It's important to know
- The very first option that doctors shout about at every step is sexual contact. That is why the question so often arises whether HIV can be infected orally. After all, such kind of caresses in the mind are closely connected with a prelude or an alternative to ordinary sex.
- Narcotic injections. An extremely common way to transmit the virus. However, the solution is very simple, today sterile injection syringes are provided free of charge at HIV centers.
- In the process of blood transfusion.
- From mother to newborn.
- From a sick patient to a medical professional.
As you can see, nothing is said about whether HIV is transmitted through oral sex. This option is theoretically possible, but so far this possibility has not been confirmed. That is, in world practice there have been no such cases.
Intimate relationship
Let's take a closer look at this point. It is clear that this term can be understood as a number of actions. Starting from petting and mutual caresses, to classic penetration. In fact, each region still has its own statistics on HIV transmission routes. In Russia today, the leader is narcotic injections.
But back to our topic. We want to know if it is possible to get HIV through oral sex. The risk is minimal, but it cannot be discounted. For example, the probability of infection with anal sex is up to 3%. The more often contact with the virus carrier occurs, the greater the likelihood of infection. Therefore, if one of the spouses becomes infected, very often the second becomes HIV-positive even before the first learns about it.
With a single vaginal contact, statistics show that the chances are even less. Immunodeficiency virus transmission occurs in 0.15% of cases. At the same time, an active partner, as a rule, cannot become infected. Nevertheless, among the representatives of the stronger sex there are usually more concerns about this.
What about oral sex? The introducing partner does not risk at all, since contact is only through saliva. Therefore, speaking of whether it is possible to get HIV through a man yelling, we can safely say that such cases have not been reported. That is, theoretically, the probability cannot be denied, but in practice this has not yet happened.
For men and women
It turns out that the risks are not the same for both partners. Therefore, it is extremely important to know whether HIV can be infected by mouth. Causes that increase this likelihood arise from the transmission of the virus. The main thing is through the blood. Thus, if there are bleeding wounds in a woman’s oral cavity, then theoretically there is a chance of infection from an infected man. With the reverse scheme, if she is HIV-positive, we can talk about zero risk for men.
In any case, the host is always more likely to become infected. Do not risk your health, it is much better to prevent a problem than to solve it later.
Not just HIV
Indeed, this is not the only danger that awaits those who practice oral sex. What can you get if your partner is not honest enough with you? This is a series of sexually transmitted infections. Herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis, candida and more.
How can you protect yourself? First of all, it is sex with a trusted partner. If he himself spoke about what is a carrier of HIV, then it is important to use contraception. If you still decide to have sex, then remember the following risk factors:
- You are more susceptible to the disease if you currently have a sore throat, wounds, sores or inflammation on your lips.
- If a partner has sores, wounds, or cuts on the genitals, on the lips, and in the oral cavity, this should be the subject of open discussion.
- You’ve got infected fluids in your mouth or throat, on your mucous membranes (eyes).
To protect yourself, you should also not have oral sex during your partner’s menstruation , brush your teeth immediately before the act. In addition, try to avoid direct contact with vaginal secretions or seminal fluid.
How HIV is not transmitted
The answer to this question is asked very often. And in most cases, people are interested in whether it is possible to become infected with HIV by kissing a sucker. The virus cannot be transmitted in this way. There is always a logical argument that in the presence of bleeding wounds on the lips and mouth there is still a risk. Let's imagine this situation. You meet a stranger with lips in bleeding wounds, will you kiss him? Most likely no. A slight crack can not cause infection, because the chances are negligible.
The virus is not transmitted through hugs and handshakes, hygiene items, that is, all household ways are absent. The virus does not survive in the pool. Only those who have unprotected sex in the pool, where the infected person bathes at the same time, may be at risk. Mosquitoes are not carriers of HIV, since they inject saliva into the body, not foreign blood. Damage to the skin in public places, visits to the dentist and other horror stories are myths. The virus does not live outside the host, which means it will not be able to wait in the wings.