Question
Is HIV transmitted by oral sex?
11 August 2016. Related: All topics, HIV testing, HIV transmission.
I am a male who had sex with a male about 2 months ago. He happened to have bad breath at that time and I feel he just brushed his teeth before having sex with me to prevent bad mouth odour. We practiced oral sex and deep kissing. A week before today I went to the doctor for an oral checkup and she found out that I have gingivitis. The person I had sex with stated to me that his HIV status is negative but I am not sure how far this is true. Is it possible that the person I had sex with transmitted HIV to me through oral sex or deep kissing and hence I have encountered gingivitis? Should I get an HIV test done?
Answer
Hi
Oral sex is generally a low risk activity. However this depends on knowing the status of your partner and, if they are positive whether they are on treatment with an undetectable viral load.
Please see the i-Base testing guide for information on the risks of transmission from oral sex.
https://i-base.info/guides/testing/oral-sex
If you don’t know your partners HIV status (he said he was negative), or if they are HIV positive with a detectable viral load, then giving a man oral sex should be considered a potential risk for transmission. If you have poor oral health this risk may be high.
Having a HIV test is the only way to be certain of your status. HIV testing is free in the UK, where I see you are from.
Please see this link for more information on testing and transmission.
https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing