About AIDS

Last week the daily paper printed a wire story which began: "At least 8% of all cases of HIV infection result from oral sex, according to ... the CDC."

NO!!! That's not what the study or the CDC said!! The study said that among the men in this particular study, 8% seem to have contracted HIV through oral sex; that cannot be extrapolated to "8% of all HIV infections." All the CDC says is that unprotected oral sex may be riskier than previously thought.

In this CDC/UC-SF study in San Francisco, among 102 recently infected gay men participating, eight of them (or about 8%) listed performing oral sex on another man as their only type of risk activity. CDC researchers therefore conclude that, although receptive oral sex is dramatically less risky than receptive anal sex, it may be more risky than most prior research would indicate.

Keeping things in perspective, this is only one small study and is in significant contradiction of multiple earlier studies. However, these are serious researchers raising an important, potentially serious point, while lacking a definitive answer. More research is needed.

ASA's reaction? Our position is basically unchanged, although it may be best to consider one's choices even more carefully:

• Performing unprotected oral sex on a man bears some risk, although the risk is dramatically lower than unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse.

• Every person must decide for himself/herself what their acceptable level of risk in sex is and strive to make the safest possible choices that can be consistently achieved.

• Condoms can reduce risk in all forms of intercourse.

• Abstinence is always an option and, lacking a longterm monogamous relationship, is the safest sexual choice of all. (For details, see Primary HIV Infections Associated With Oral Transmission. 7th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. On the Web at http://www.hivandhepatitis.com.)