contracting HIV is reduced by more than 90 percent. Even with all of this in place, it’s best to avoid sexual activity at high-risk occasions like menstruation or illness.
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Why Black People Need To Be Careful
Based on the statistics, you can see that HIV infections are most likely during oral sex for people with a penis. This is most often depicted as ‘men who have sex with men’ (MSM). Though studies show that the rate of HIV infection is highest in the Black community, there are specific risks for MSM. While gay and bisexual Black men who are older than 40 are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV, those who are 18-39 make up almost 40 percent of newly diagnosed infections in the overall gay community.
Additionally, studies show that young gay and bisexual Black men are less likely to use protection when sexually active. They also don’t have as much access to HIV medical care. To make things worse, HIV-negative gay and bisexual Black men don’t often have access to PrEP, which is beneficial in preventing infections. Finally, research shows that many young MSM don’t know that they’re HIV-positive, which makes it unlikely that they’ll get treated for the illness.
Statistics show that the risk of getting or giving HIV from oral sex is usually low. However, the low risk is contingent on the HIV-positive person having a low viral load, sticking to their medication regimen, and not having any wounds. Where Black MSM are concerned, though, they’re at a higher risk for contracting the disease while having a low level of testing and getting the relevant medical care. That can translate to a higher risk of passing on the virus during oral sex.