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From: decwrl!well.sf.ca.us!well!lady@uunet.UU.NET (Lee Lady)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids,alt.sex
Subject: Re: WARNING: re: ORAL SEX
Summary: See the Nov. 6 Village Voice for some additional information.
Keywords: AIDS, fellatio
Message-ID: <1990Dec11.232557.1828@cs.ucla.edu>
Date: 11 Dec 90 01:12:15 GMT
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In article <1990Dec2.231638.3510@cs.ucla.edu> v069paxq@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu writes:
>in a recent article.. it was stated that in san francisco by area there is 
>a study going on... and 82 ppl are in it.... they are all HIV+
>they revealed by self report that 17% said the ONLY hi risk activity they 
>EVER engaged in was ORAL SEX
>
>making the warning: beware of oral sex.. that is unprotected.... 
>
>again SAFETY FIRST

This study was done at UC Berkeley by a doctoral candidate in the school 
of public health.  It certainly deserves to be taken very seriously.  

On the other hand, there was an article in the Village Voice November 6(?) 
pointing out some aspects of this study that were not mentioned in the 
original press account.  Namely, several of the subjects had special 
factors involved which would make them somewhat atypical.  One had been 
engaged in anal sex within a few weeks prior to the beginning of the five-year
period covered by the study.  One had had over 900 different sex partners 
during the period in which he became infected.  Several had been 
practicing "deep throat," which may be more risky than the more common 
form of fellatio.  

I am in no way a medical expert, but it seems to me that quite a bit of 
additional study will be required before one can say just how high the 
risk of receptive fellatio is.  The Berkeley study certainly indicates, 
though, that there is at least some risk.  

-- 
Lee Lady    lady@well.sf.ca.us

"Ninety percent of life is just showing up."  --Woody Allen