Question
Can I get HIV from oral sex?
15 January 2018. Related: All topics, HIV transmission.
I’m a male, 30 years old. Yesterday, I had unprotected oral sex with a female who I don’t know her HIV status. I only had oral sex with her. She gave me a blowjob.
I am afraid that if she has HIV, I will be at risk of HIV infection. I’m so worried. Do I need to get HIV test?
Thank you very much!
Answer
Thank you for your question.
You cannot get HIV from oral sex this way. Anyone who is receiving a blowjob is not at risk. You also cannot get HIV from giving a woman oral sex.
Although up to 5% of HIV infections might be giving someone a blowjob, this probably depends on two factors. One is that viral load need to be very high in the positive partner and the second it that the negative partner probably need to have mouth problems, for example if they have bleeding gums, a cut in their mouth or recent dental work.
More information about HIV sexual transmission is included in this guide, which has a section on oral sex.
This answer was updated in January 2018 from an original Q&A from July 2010. i-Base no longer answers individual questions about HIV transmission and risk. (See: Question 1 at this link).
Comments to this Q&A are now closed.
Hi Kris, please see links here to learn about HIV.
https://i-base.info/qa/11844
Receiving oral sex is not a risk.
I am a 33 year old woman who let another woman give me oral she was HIV positive but she is on medications can I get it like that
Hello Lolu and thanks for the question.
Oral sex has very low risk – mostly for the partner that is giving it.
You are not at risk but you could benefit from reading here why:
https://i-base.info/guides/testing