Perceptions of Health Care Professionals and Patients about the Risk of HIV Transmission through Oral Sex: A Qualitative Study

Perceptions of Health Care Professionals and Patients about the Risk of HIV Transmission through Oral Sex: A Qualitative Study

Purpose of the Study

In the early years of the HIV / AIDS believed that oral contacts do not involve the risk HIV infection. But after years of already known that the risk of HIV infection in contacts is indeed oral much smaller than in the anal and vaginal contact, but still exists. Not all of these previous situations are just as risky. Estimating the precise risk associated with these situations is extremely difficult because people practicing oral sex is rarely limited to the sexual activity. This is often component foreplay, leading later to contacts vaginal and / or anal sex. The mucosa of the mouth, not even damaged, it is vulnerable to infection. But the contact material infectious, which is the semen and blood, does not always lead to infection. It depends on many factors, such as the amount of virus, the infectivity of the virus strain and time of contact with sensitive surfaces, as well as the state immune people potentially exposed to infection (Remafedi, 1994).

Justification for the Study

There are also individual case reports and studies that demonstrate transmission through oral sex, for example, a small study of 120 people with fresh Dillon with HIV infection, which probably go back to 6.6 percent in oral sex. Thus, the risk associated with oral sex is quantifiable, but is still far behind other risks (unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse) back. Difficulty of calculating risk Why is it so difficult to define clearly the risk for oral sex? One reason is that the low risk is superimposed on the high risk of oral sex for vaginal and anal intercourse (and most people are not confined to a sexual practice). The problem is on the other hand, is that the studies are not always a clear distinction between oral sex with or without ejaculation.

Study Design

The study was designed to identify the HIV transmission risks specifically from oral sex. A qualitative research study was designed in order to obtain an insight in the risks involved in oral sex and the rate of HIV transmission for the partners. Interviews were settled with the health care professional and the real patients, the whole process took a time for a year or so. The researchers conducted surveys with 28 health care professionals belonging to San Francisco and after that patients were also involved in obtaining information and real facts about the health drawbacks of oral sex.

Theoretical Perspective for the Study

Risk through sexual contact, it is estimated that the average risk of transmitting HIV through unprotected anal single contact for the "host" partner ranges from 0.8% to 3.2% (from 8 to 32 cases per 1000). For a single vaginal intercourse, statistical risk for women ranges from 0.05% to 0.15% (from 5 to 15 cases per 10,000). A recently published study "gives ...