At the 4th International Oral AIDS Conference,
the risk of transmission through oral sex was estimated to be approximately 0.04 per cent per contact - 4/100ths of 1% chance per each individual act!! The
FACT is that no one knows for certain if HIV is transmitted even occurs via oral sex. Even the CDC, in the article you link to, states that other sexual activity occurred in those instances of reported oral transmission (more below).
Scientists have long held that oral transmission of HIV is a "theoretical risk", not a "documented risk" (scroll to "What is the risk of HIV transmission via oral sex?" after the jump if you click the link). In fact, it may actually be impossible to determine if HIV transmission can be measured as a direct result of oral sex alone. This issue has been discussed ad naseum here on ECCIE, and a simple search of previous discussions would have revealed that fact . . .
also, this is not "new" news from the CDC (re: your inference that this was the
"latest from teh [sic]
cdc").
When scientists describe the risk of transmitting an infectious disease, like HIV, the term "theoretical risk" is often used. Very simply, "theoretical risk" means that passing an infection from one person to another is possible, even though there may not yet be actual documented cases sufficient to support "documented risk". "Theoretical risk" is not the same as likelihood. In other words, stating that HIV infection is "theoretically possible" does not necessarily mean it is likely to happen - only that it might. "Documented risk", on the other hand, is used to describe transmission that has actually occurred, been investigated, and documented in the scientific literature
with numbers sufficient to exclude aberrant reporting.
The CDC has only documented "a few" (less than five cases ) oral HIV transmissions between heterosexual partners. However, this number is not sufficient to yet proclaim that oral transmission of HIV is a "documented risk", due mostly to the fact (as I mentioned previously) that other types of sexual activity were reported by those infected concurrent with oral sexual activity during the incubation window (period).
rharley, there are risks inherent in
everything . . . from getting out of bed in the morning, to making breakfast (you'd be amazed how many people are killed by toasters each year), and yes, in having oral sex . . . etc.
We all must choose, as individuals, those risks we are willing to take (accept) in our daily lives.
However, I do agree with Lilianna that your postulate that
Quote:
Originally Posted by rharley
makes me wonder WHY people who practice this, just don't seem to care. maybe they already have it??
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is a statement contrary to the rules (and spirit) of the board, specifically rule #16 - Posting about/Speculating about another person's medical condition is strictly forbidden.
This rule makes no specification that it be a speculation about any one (singular) member, and you're walking a fine line that many moderators would issue points for, up to and possibly including instant banning for "cluelessness".
- Jackie
bbbj a must?
