Reply #7: Great questions.

[JackBeck]

1) Yes. HIV can be transmitted through oral sex, but it is very, very rare. This is actually quite a controversial topic, with different schools of thought. You have to think about transmission when dealing with this question. The bodily fluids that HIV is transmitted are: blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk, and pre-cum. Those are listed from highest concentration of HIV (blood) to lowest concentration (pre-cum). Not only do any of these fluids have to be present, but the person receiving these fluids needs to have an entry point for the infected fluids to get into the body. So to try and answer your question even further, if the person giving the oral sex does not let their partner ejaculate in their mouth, the risk of transmission is extremely low. If the partner does ejaculate, the risk is a bit higher, but still very low. Research has been done that shows there are enzymes in saliva that actually break down HIV. THe mouth is also considered a very hostile environment and a very strong member of our immune system.

2) Actually, it's the other way around. HIV can speed up HPV disease progression.

3) Not so much for a cure, but more research is being done to find a vaccine that would prevent HIV- individuals from contracting HIV.