The research team - from a clinic in Madrid - examined 135 couples in
a 'steady' relationship where one partner was HIV positive. Out of the
135 HIV-negative people, 110 were women and 25 men. Of the women, 96 had
performed fellatio on their HIV-positive partner, giving a total of 8,965
instances of unprotected fellatio. (Less than once a month on average!)
Among the 25 HIV-negative men, 12 had unprotected cunnilingus with their
positive partner, a total of 614 times.
It is thought that certain factors increase the chances of passing on
HIV through oral sex. These include the HIV-positive man ejaculating in
the mouth of their partner, the presence of a sexually transmitted infection,
poor oral health and the viral load of the positive partner.
Among the HIV-positive men, 34 per cent had ejaculated into the mouths
of their partners and 10 per cent had a viral load above 10,000 copies/ml.
The study authors conclude: "This seems to point to a very low probability
of HIV transmission related to this practice."
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Cheaper HAART
A more economical HIV combination therapy combining ddI and hydroxyurea
with the anti-malaria drug chloroquine has recently been investigated.
With a cost of around
one-third of conventional regimes, the combo could be useful in developing countries. In the trial, 16 patients with a viral load under 100,000 copies and
