Let's start off with the good news . . . nobody has ever been infected with HIV by receiving oral sex (exposure to saliva). Not a single reported case worldwide!

However, it's time to face the truth when it comes to HIV and giving oral sex (exposure to pre-cum and semen). Yes, you can get HIV this way. There have already been cases reported of people becoming infected specifically through giving oral sex to a man. I personally know several gay men who became infected this way. They never had anal sex, never did drugs and never had a blood transfusion. But they did have guys' cum in their mouths. It's been known for quite some time that you can also get other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like gonorrhea, or syphillis by giving oral sex. So giving a guy a blow-job is risky for HIV and other STDs. This is a proven fact.

If you read pamphlets about HIV and oral sex, you'll often read that you should use a latex condom while giving a guy a blow-job. Yeah, right! Telling guys to use latex condoms during oral sex looks great on paper. They do offer great protection against HIV and other STDs. But have you ever tasted a latex condom? If you haven't, get one out and lick it. Yuck! Let's face it . . . latex condoms taste gross!

So how can we get people to use latex condoms (or dental dams) during oral sex? Truth is, most folks won't. So how can you give a blow-job safely? Actually, there are ways of reducing your risk of infection while giving oral sex.

1. Let's start off with making condoms taste better. First of all, always use unlubricated condoms for oral sex. Lubricants were never made to be ingested. There are flavored condoms on the market which don't taste so bad. Kiss of Mint brand is probably the best example. But what if you can't find Kiss of Mint? What if you hate the taste of mint? Well, all you have to do is use any food item that isn't oil based, and put it on a latex condom. You can use honey, jam . . . hey, someone I know even used beer! You can use any food item that will cover the awful taste of latex, as long as it isn't oil-based. Using food for sex can also eroticize things with your partner.
2. You can use plastic condoms. These condoms, sold under the brand name Avanti are made out of a type of plastic called polyurethane. Since they're not made out of latex, they don't have that awful taste. But studies are still being done to see how well they protect against HIV and other STDs.
3. If you don't want to use condoms at all, at the very least, don't let the guy cum in your mouth. The less you allow pre-cum and semen to get in your mouth, the less your chance of infection.
4. And finally, "look before you lick." If you see any type of lesions, growths or discharge on the guy's penis, that's nature's way of telling you to hold off. These symptoms can be due to numerous STDs, and physical contact with them can lead to infection. A guy can have a disease and have no symptoms at all, but if you see something that doesn't belong there, don't touch it!

Of course having oral sex without protection will still have some element of risk, but looking before you lick and not letting the guy cum in your mouth will significantly reduce your risk. So if you love going down on a guy, but hate the taste of latex, you now have four ways of having safer sex.

---

Do you want more information on AIDS, STDs or safer sex? Contact the U.S. Centers for Disease Control AIDS hotline, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-800-CDC-INFO. Or visit The Body's Safe Sex and Prevention Forum.

Until next time . . . Work hard, play hard, play safe, stay sober!