AIDS RISK REDUCTION GUIDELINES
FOR HEALTHIER SEX
As given by Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights
and reprinted from In the Heat of Passion: How to Have Hotter,
Safer Sex.

NO RISK. Most of these activities involve only skin-to-skin
contact, thereby avoiding exposure to blood, semen. and vaginal
secretions. This assumes there are no breaks in the skin.
1) Social kissing (dry).
2) Body massage, hugging.
3) Body to body rubbing (frottage).
4) Light S&M (without bruising or bleeding).
5) Using one's own sex toys. 6) Mutual masturbation (male or
external female). Care should be taken to avoid exposing the
.partners to ejaculate or vaginal secretions. Seminal, vaginal and
salivary fluids should not be used as lubricants.

LOW RISK. In these activities small amounts of certain body
fluids might be exchanged, or the protective barrier might break
causing some risk.
1) Anal or vaginal intercourse with condom. Risk is incurred if
the condom breaks or if semen spills into the rectum or vagina.
The risk is further reduced if one withdraws before climax.
2) Fellatio interruptus (sucking, stopping before climax).
Pre-ejaculate fluid may contain HIV. Saliva may contain HIV in
low concentration. The insertive partner should warn the
receptive partner before climax to prevent exposure to a large
volume of semen. If mouth or genital sores are present, risk is
increased. Likewise, action which causes mouth or genital injury
will increase risk.
3) Fellatio with condom (sucking with condom). Risk is low unless
breakage occurs.
4) Mouth-to-mouth kissing (French kissing, wet kissing). HIV is
present in saliva in such low concentration that salivary
exchange is unlikely to transmit the virus. Risk is in creased if
sores in the mouth or bleeding gums are present.
5) Oral-vaginal or oral-anal contact with protective barrier,
e.g. a latex dam, obtainable through a' dental supply house. Do
not reuse latex barrier.
6) Manual anal contact with glove (fisting with glove). If the
glove does not break, virus transmission should not occur.
However, significant trauma can still be inflicted on the rectal
tissues leading to other medical problems.
7) Manual vaginal contact with glove (internal). See above.


MODERATE RISK. These activities involve tissue trauma and/or
exchange of body fluids which may transmit HIV or other sexually
transmitted disease.
1) Fellatio (sucking to climax). Semen may contain high
concentrations of HIV and if absorbed through open sores in the
mouth or digestive tract could pose risk.
2) Oral-anal contact (rimming). HIV may be contained in
blood-contaminated feces or in the anal rectal lining. This
practice also poses high risk of transmission of parasites and
other gastrointestinal infections.
3) Cunnilingus (oral-vaginal contact). Vaginal secretions and
menstrual blood have been shown to harbor HIV, thereby causing
risk to the oral partner if open lesions are present in the mouth
or digestive tract.
4) Manual rectal contact (fisting). Studies have indicated a
direct association between fisting and HIV infection for both
partners. This association may be due to concurrent use of
recreational drugs, bleeding, pre-fisting semen exposure, or anal
intercourse with ejaculation.
5) Sharing sex toys.
6) Ingestion of urine. HIV has not been shown to be transmitted
via urine; however, other immunosuppressive agents or infections
may be transmitted in this manner.

HIGH RISK. These activities have been shown to transmit HIV.
1) Receptive anal intercourse without condom. All studies imply
that this activity carries the highest risk of transmitting HIV.

2) Insertive anal intercourse without condom. Studies suggest
that men who participate only in this activity are at less risk
of being infected than their partners who are rectally receptive;
however the risk is still significant. It carries high risk of
infection by other sexually transmitted diseases.
3) Vaginal intercourse without condom.

Sex is an important part of our lives. We owe it to ourselves and
to our partners to keep it as healthy (low risk) as we can.