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HIV and oral sex discrepancies?!

What I don't get, is why do members and docs on here say that there is NO way for risk of HIV transmission through fellatio (giving or receiving), while other websites such as thebody.com or the mayo clinic say that there is a risk of getting HIV?  There are so many different conflicting answers.  So who is right and who isn't?

Just was wondering.
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Avatar universal
"So who is right and who isn't?" What do you think we are going to say that we are wrong?

No risk is used based on studies done that show no transmissions from HIV+ to HIV- from oral sex. A lot of site will use patient reporting which by nature is flawed.
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Avatar universal
Sorry, I wasn't being rude or anything like that.  that was not my intentions at all!

I can see how patients would skew answers because they are afraid of what others may think of them, plus many other situations.
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No incident HIV infections among MSM who practice exclusively oral sex.
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WePpC2072)??Balls JE, Evans JL, Dilley J, Osmond D, Shiboski S, Shiboski C, Klausner J, McFarland W, Greenspan D, Page-Shafer K?University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States

Oral transmission of HIV, reality or fiction? An update
J Campo1, MA Perea1, J del Romero2, J Cano1, V Hernando2, A Bascones1
Oral Diseases (2006) 12, 219–228

AIDS: Volume 16(17) 22 November 2002 pp 2350-2352
Risk of HIV infection attributable to oral sex among men who have sex with men and in the population of men who have sex with men

Page-Shafer, Kimberlya,b; Shiboski, Caroline Hb; Osmond, Dennis Hc; Dilley, Jamesd; McFarland, Willie; Shiboski, Steve Cc; Klausner, Jeffrey De; Balls, Joycea; Greenspan, Deborahb; Greenspan
Page-Shafer K, Veugelers PJ, Moss AR, Strathdee S, Kaldor JM, van Griensven GJ. Sexual risk behavior and risk factors for HIV-1 seroconversion in homosexual men participating in the Tricontinental Seroconverter Study, 1982-1994 [published erratum appears in Am J Epidemiol 1997 15 Dec; 146(12):1076]. Am J Epidemiol 1997, 146:531-542.

Studies which show the fallacy of relying on anecdotal evidence as opposed to carefully controlled study insofar as HIV transmission risk is concerned:

Jenicek M. "Clinical Case Reporting" in Evidence-Based Medicine. Oxford: Butterworth–Heinemann; 1999:117
Saltzman SP, Stoddard AM, McCusker J, Moon MW, Mayer KH. Reliability of self-reported sexual behavior risk factors for HIV infection in homosexual men. Public Health Rep. 1987 102(6):692–697.Nov–Dec;

Catania JA, Gibson DR, Chitwood DD, Coates TJ. Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior. Psychol Bull. 1990 Nov;108(3):339–362.

There is no debate (among experts) about the HIV risks associated with oral sex. The risk is so low that almost nobody who cares for HIV infected patients has ever had a patient believed to have been infected that way. Among experts, it's a semantic issue about using terms like "no risk" and "very low risk". There is no difference between my or Dr. Hook's use of "low risk" and other experts' "no risk".
DR. HANSFIELD

"And oral sex is basically safe sex -- completely safe with respect to HIV and although not zero risk for other STDs, the chance of infection is far lower than for unprotected vaginal or anal sex. Please educate yourself about the real risks. If you stick with oral sex and condom-protected vaginal or anal sex, you have no HIV worries and very little worry about other STDs. " DR HANSFIELD

"I am sure you can find lots of people who belive that HIV is transmitted by oral sex, but you will not find scientific data to support this unrealistic concern..." DR HOOK

"HIV is not spread by touching, masturbation, oral sex or condom protected sex."- DR. HOOK

in the public HIV Prevention forum of MedHelp, TEAK and the other moderators maintain that oral sex in all forms is a zero risk activity. Would you agree with this assessment?
I TOTALLY AGREE / DR GARCIA

"HIV is not spread by masturbation, through oral sex, through kissing or other casual contact." Dr.Hook

"The observation on thousands and thousands of observations is that HIV is not spread by oral sex (of any sort)." DR HOOK

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Avatar universal
Did not think you were being rude or anything like that.
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Okay, good.  It was just a question that's been on my mind since there are so many different websites out there and even government publications that say that Yes, oral sex is a way for HIV to be transmitted.  They say it is low risk, but they are still saying it's a risk.  I'm just confused, that's all.

@Teak: Yeah, i've seen that posted a few times around the site, and it is comforting to know.  I honestly think that the people that were surveyed probably had personal issues/conflicts with their sexuality with regards to engaging in other risky sexual practices.  Thus, they 'say' that they only have oral sex, but in reality, they could be doing so many different things (to cover up their guilt/shame).  Do you think I am correct on this somewhat??
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Avatar universal
I don't know why people don't tell the truth but the fact is HIV is not transmitted by oral sex.
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Avatar universal
Dr.Cummins who is a UK based doctor practices in Harley St London . Practices alongside Dr.Garcia would agree with the opinion this site takes , read a few of his responses on this subject as i am also one who believed he was at risk ...

More evidence out there insisting no risk
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