Our local Gay Men's Health organisation has responded to comments made by Australian sexual health experts in our 8 September news article 'STIs on rise through unsafe oral sex'. The article recommended men guard themselves against sexually transmitted infections by using condoms for oral sex until a regular relationship is formed and after both parties are tested. The advice came after rates of syphilis and gonorrhoea rose to their highest levels in Victoria since the early 1980s. Douglas Jenkin, team co-ordinator for Gay Men's Health, says the advice given in the article reflects policies common in Australia which don't apply here. "Gay Men's Health doesn't consider it realistic that men will use condoms for oral sex. The risk of contracting HIV through oral sex is negligible, and in terms of other STI's, awareness and tests every three months for those who are very sexually active is advised." HIV and other STI's can potentially get into your bloodstream through cuts and sores (such as ulcers) in your mouth during oral sex. Even so, this is still nowhere near as risky as anal sex without condoms, according to the safe sex information on the NZ AIDS Foundation's official website. Ref: Gay Men's Health (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 12th September 2006 - 12:00pm