A Delicate But Serious Subject...

[Suszzy]

Do you straight people still think HIV is just a gay disease?

absolutely not..!!

only narrow mind people would think like that.

[FranklyNoMore]

Do you straight people still think HIV is just a gay disease?

absolutely not..!! only narrow mind people would think like that.<br />

well there are plenty of people out there thinking like that. And a few pop their heads in here from time to time.

The thing about HIV is not whose doing what deliberately but what you are doing with your body. The medicine now available to HIV+ people can prolong lives for decades and is only good thing if they are being responsible by not spreading the virus. But it takes two or 3 if you are lucky.

Their is a lot of risk taking happening and the fact that many more HIV+ people are walking the streets oblivious to the fact they are positive cannot help.

My advice would be to get tested and dont be ignorant. Its quick and not expensive. There is no excuse.

[wizemen2]

Lets not pansy around,if a guy with HiV/Aids has sex with someone that is not aware of his status as HIV/Aids, he is a potential murderer, same as a gunman or a serial killer, and should be treated as such by the courts, or failing that by street justice.!!!

I would not hesitate.

[FranklyNoMore]

Lets not pansy around,if a guy with HiV/Aids has sex with someone that is not aware of his status as HIV/Aids, he is a potential murderer, same as a gunman or a serial killer, and should be treated as such by the courts, or failing that by street justice.!!!I would not hesitate.

Two people having consenting sex take responsability for their own actions. You cant blame someone else if you choose to have unsafe sex. Everyone knows what is considered risky. If you stick a cock in your mouth there is a 5% chance of catching HIV or 95% birdflu and thats the same if you are a man or a woman.

Society today wants to blame everyone else for their ignorant actions. Nobody wants to take responsability. Dont be so ignorant and play the blame game.

[elkangorito]

Lets not pansy around,if a guy with HiV/Aids has sex with someone that is not aware of his status as HIV/Aids, he is a potential murderer, same as a gunman or a serial killer, and should be treated as such by the courts, or failing that by street justice.!!!

I would not hesitate.

Is it an error that you only mention "a guy" in your post or are you a little homophobic? Or perhaps you don't realise that females can also acquire HIV & spread it?

[orchis]

nowadays 39% of the hiv infections occur in married couples, mostly transmission

from the hiv pos and mostly unknowing husband to his wife. see bkk post today p1.

at this rate there is no need for "gay murderers who spread hiv deliberately".

[PeaceBlondie]

Okay, a reference without a link, to today's Bangkok Post on page 1, is good enough for a scare tactic against the straight couples in Thailand. There are probably no reliable statistics anywhere in the world about sex, esp. in Thailand.

But 5% transmission of HIV by oral sex? Frankly, no more such scare tactics without some scientific evidence, okay? It's been about 5 years since an experienced, gay STD counselor told me there was virtually no chance of acquiring HIV through oral sex. There is always a chance that a 900 kilo shipment of rancid somtam will fall on you between Sukumvit and Suriwong, on an odd numbered holiday, but the chances are very slim.

[thai_narak]

same thing happened in chantaburi about 6 months ago (as i heard so). one HIV infected girl deliberately spread the virus by inviting the male students, teachers, and janitors to have sex with her without condom in group session (not less than 10 per session). based from the investigation, about 70 percent of the male population in that school had sex with her.

the girl, when asked by the police, told that she was infected with the virus thru her boyfriend who allegedly gang raped her with his friends. the girl said she did it for revenge.

[Paagai]

Okay, a reference without a link, to today's Bangkok Post on page 1, is good enough for a scare tactic against the straight couples in Thailand. There are probably no reliable statistics anywhere in the world about sex, esp. in Thailand.

But 5% transmission of HIV by oral sex? Frankly, no more such scare tactics without some scientific evidence, okay? It's been about 5 years since an experienced, gay STD counselor told me there was virtually no chance of acquiring HIV through oral sex. There is always a chance that a 900 kilo shipment of rancid somtam will fall on you between Sukumvit and Suriwong, on an odd numbered holiday, but the chances are very slim.

During a recent, regular, HIV test (UK), I got a lecture from the counsellor on the dangers of HIV acquisition through oral sex. They were citing recent research stating there is real evidence more people are getting infected through Oral transmission than was originally thought.

A quick google for 'HIV "Oral Sex"' gives plenty of references. This (UK Gov) link (download the PDF)http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandsta...ance/DH_4005438

states the following:

Recent studies, in predominantly gay men, in San Francisco [1] and London [2] suggest that 6 to 8% of those with HIV infection believed they had acquired it through oral sex alone.

Draw your own conclusions - its a risk I'd take very seriously! The counsellor went on to stress oral Hygine and particularly NOT brushing your teeth before oral sex (can leave abrasions in the mouth), NOT using a mouth wash BEFORE oral sex (can inflame the Gums - that's the first time I'd heard this about mouth wash!) and obviously, don't give oral sex if you have mouth ulcers or bleeding gums.

This link also gives a personal story from an HIV positive person with a rather scary transmission route:http://www.geocities.com/fdjk3/cfs.html

Interestingly, when I mentioned I lived in Thailand I was warned the strain of HIV here is different and more virulent/harder to treat than seen in the west and that most of the new HIV infections seen at clinics in the UK are actually acquired overseas!

[LaoPo]

Okay, a reference without a link, to today's Bangkok Post on page 1, is good enough for a scare tactic against the straight couples in Thailand. There are probably no reliable statistics anywhere in the world about sex, esp. in Thailand.

But 5% transmission of HIV by oral sex? Frankly, no more such scare tactics without some scientific evidence, okay? It's been about 5 years since an experienced, gay STD counselor told me there was virtually no chance of acquiring HIV through oral sex. There is always a chance that a 900 kilo shipment of rancid somtam will fall on you between Sukumvit and Suriwong, on an odd numbered holiday, but the chances are very slim.

During a recent, regular, HIV test (UK), I got a lecture from the counsellor on the dangers of HIV acquisition through oral sex. They were citing recent research stating there is real evidence more people are getting infected through Oral transmission than was originally thought.

A quick google for 'HIV "Oral Sex"' gives plenty of references. This (UK Gov) link (download the PDF)http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandsta...ance/DH_4005438

states the following:

Recent studies, in predominantly gay men, in San Francisco [1] and London [2] suggest that 6 to 8% of those with HIV infection believed they had acquired it through oral sex alone.

Draw your own conclusions - its a risk I'd take very seriously! The counsellor went on to stress oral Hygine and particularly NOT brushing your teeth before oral sex (can leave abrasions in the mouth), NOT using a mouth wash BEFORE oral sex (can inflame the Gums - that's the first time I'd heard this about mouth wash!) and obviously, don't give oral sex if you have mouth ulcers or bleeding gums.

This link also gives a personal story from an HIV positive person with a rather scary transmission route:http://www.geocities.com/fdjk3/cfs.html

Interestingly, when I mentioned I lived in Thailand I was warned the strain of HIV here is different and more virulent/harder to treat than seen in the west and that most of the new HIV infections seen at clinics in the UK are actually acquired overseas!

Scary It also means that what's known NOW, wasn't known a few years ago and that there are still lots of Doctors and Specialists who are not fully (well) informed.

LaoPo

[endure]

The dates are slightly misleading. Although the website 'Published date' is 2006 the actual document is marked as 'updated 2003'.

[elkangorito]

Okay, a reference without a link, to today's Bangkok Post on page 1, is good enough for a scare tactic against the straight couples in Thailand. There are probably no reliable statistics anywhere in the world about sex, esp. in Thailand.

But 5% transmission of HIV by oral sex? Frankly, no more such scare tactics without some scientific evidence, okay? It's been about 5 years since an experienced, gay STD counselor told me there was virtually no chance of acquiring HIV through oral sex. There is always a chance that a 900 kilo shipment of rancid somtam will fall on you between Sukumvit and Suriwong, on an odd numbered holiday, but the chances are very slim.

No scare tactics here, Peace. This is real.

My ex BF back in 1990, was & still is a General Practioner (doctor) & even back then, he told me that HIV could be transmitted by oral contact, particularly if the recipient had;

a] a lowered immune system,

b] gingivitus or some other other oral infectious condition.

Edited October 15, 2007 by elkangorito

[peridot]

Recent studies, in predominantly gay men, in San Francisco [1] and London [2] suggest that 6 to 8% of those with HIV infection believed they had acquired it through oral sex alone.

There is a word in the above sentence that is very important -- "believe". Anecdotal evidence about where people believe they got infected is not scientific. It is well documented that men are less comfortable admitting to having anal sex without a condom than saying they had oral sex without a condom.

One year ago, there were less than ten (10) confirmed cases of HIV transmission through oral sex in all the published studies ever presented at HIV conferences. Oral sex without a condom is considered a low risk activity by all the major AIDS organisations in the US and Europe.

Here in Thailand, the majority of HIV is subtype "E", which is unique to this Southeat Asia. BUT, subtype "E" is almost exclusively found in the heterosexual population, NOT in the gay or IV drug user population. It is suspected that it is more virulent the the more common subtype "B", but that is not yet proven. The gay HIV population here is almost all subtype "B", the same as in the gay population the world over.

Common risk reduction suggests brushing your teeth at least two hours before oral sex. I have never heard anything about mouthwash being a risk. Inflammation is not a risk, open routes to blood vessels are a risk. If you have gingivitis so bad that your gums bleed easily, you should avoid oral sex. But even with all the people who do have gum disease, there are not many statistics to show this is a common way to pass HIV.

I think it is a shame to scare people about all forms of sex being risky. When I took my Thai boyfriend to the Red Cross, they suggested we only kiss on the cheek. When I asked about scientific evidence for this, the woman agreed that there was none. "But still, to be safe ..." I think this kind of fear mongering can lead people to give up on safety, and do things that are truly risky, namely anal sex without a condom. If everyone used condoms for anal sex, the rates of transmission would plunge, no matter what other sexual practises they engaged in.