Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ucla-cs!EL407007%BROWNVM.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu
From: EL407007%BROWNVM.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Bill Sklar)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: (2340) Transmission via oral sex
Message-ID: <37808@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 7 Aug 90 14:16:54 GMT
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
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Approved: ddodell@stjhmc.fidonet.org (David Dodell)
Note:	Copyright 1990 by Daniel R. Greening.  Permission granted for
Note:	non-commercial reproduction.
Archive-number: 2343

>I know that at least a few cases have been documented that appear to
>have been transmitted by oral sex, but is it a significant risk?
>(compared to, say, being hit by a car)
>
>Dale            drw@math.mit.edu

Well, most cars can't transmit the HIV virus, but there's a new strain
developing in some of the more recent brands of unleaded.

Sorry... on to the serious stuff:

We know that stomach acid kills HIV, and at one point I *thought* that
enzymes in saliva did as well, but I think science has proven me wrong
on that one.  I guess it would depend on what sort of condition your
mouth is in, wouldn't it?  Personally, I'd reccomend dental dams simply
because we usually can't tell how many cuts, etc. there are in our own
mouths-- they're really common.  It just seems like a silly risk to take,
even if the chances of contracting AIDS by it are relatively low.

--Bill