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Risk of HIV infection per sexual act? <BR>
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Depending on numerous variables in numerous countries, science based study of various populations has shown risk of infection per sexual act varying from 1 in 500 to 1 in 10000.<BR>
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At the bottom and in the middle are links to a few science & statistical based articles on the probability of transmission of HIV per sexual act in certain populations.<BR>
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These varying rates are reflective in some of these populations for the risk for "unprotected" sex, with minimal or no condom use, though some condom use may be a factor in the populations under study. Thus they should not be considered reflective of the risk rates for HIV infection in a given population for a single sexual act with correct condom use, which drops to very, very low levels.<BR>
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Because the Palouse may have recent verified cases of possible sexual HIV transmission, and the reliability of condoms in preventing HIV infection has been debated on Vision2020, consider the results of the study of discordant couples, one partner HIV positive, the other not. In this study referenced at this link immediately below, out of 123 discordant sexually active couples who used condoms correctly and consistently, not a single HIV transmission occurred, while out of a group of 122 discordant couples who used condoms inconsistently, 12 of the uninfected partners became infected. While this data suggests condoms are dramatic in blocking HIV infection, it also reveals the difficulty in transmitting HIV, with known infectious sexual partnering involving numerous sexual acts with an uninfected partner resulting in about a 10 percent infection rate (not the same rate as would result from limiting the situation to a single sexual act with an known HIV infected partner), among discordant couples not taking all the reasonable precautions.<BR>
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<A HREF="http://www.thebody.com/cdc/factcond.html">http://www.thebody.com/cdc/factcond.html</A><BR>
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There are a variety of "sexual acts" that need to be considered, along with sexual lifestyle and associated health variables, demographic factors, etc. that result in varying rates of HIV infection potential among a given population (such as that a person who has a high HIV viral load, that may be associated with a new HIV infection within five months, may be much more infectious than a person who has lived with the HIV virus for a longer time, and has a lower viral load: so if your "area" has a lot of newly HIV infected in the population, infection probability per sexual act may increase significantly) . <BR>
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I'm hesitant to explore the "details." Is this G, PG, PG-13, NC-17 or R rated?<BR>
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Anyway, the objective empirical data offered might calm a few nerves for those at risk on the Palouse, though my intent is not to paint a rosy picture. Unless you are a monk or a nun who has never played a sport or done anything where you might contact another person's blood, consider an HIV test. Forget the stigma. People who have only had sex with their loyal monogamous spouse or partner have contacted HIV via sex. Even the NBA gets players with bloody injuries off the court pronto till the blood flow is stopped, a very strict policy due in part to potential for HIV infection. Of course pregnancy (mother to infant), sharing or reusing needles, and blood transfusions, in fact, as mentioned, any contact with another person's blood, are risk factors for transmission of HIV, as every EMT, doctor and nurse, even dental assistants, knows. <BR>
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HIV is not easy to transmit, thankfully, or the HIV/AIDs problem would be many times worse.<BR>
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It is important to point out that some sexual acts that are the highest risk type of sex for HIV transmission can be engaged in by both heterosexual and homosexual couples. And that other sexual acts that have the lowest risk of HIV transmission also can be engaged in by both same and different sex couples.<BR>
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<A HREF="http://big.berkeley.edu/ifplp.hivtrans.pdf">http://big.berkeley.edu/ifplp.hivtrans.pdf</A>.<BR>
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HTML easier to load version of link above:<BR>
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<A HREF="http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:O5AFDgyTwO8J:big.berkeley.edu/ifplp.hivtrans.pdf+hiv+transmission+probability+percent+per+coital+act&hl=en">http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:O5AFDgyTwO8J:big.berkeley.edu/ifplp.hivtrans.pdf+hiv+transmission+probability+percent+per+coital+act&hl=en</A><BR>
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>From The Lancet:<BR>
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<A HREF="http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/HIV/gray2/#n2">http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/HIV/gray2/#n2</A><BR>
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Below From King County (Seattle) public health. Note information at bottom under "Summary" for certain precautions against infection post sex some might take that actually are asserted to increase risk!<BR>
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<A HREF="http://www.metrokc.gov/health/apu/infograms/hiv_transmission_0302.htm">http://www.metrokc.gov/health/apu/infograms/hiv_transmission_0302.htm</A><BR>
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Vision2020 Post by Ted Moffett<BR>
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