So it's 2am, you're in a bathroom at a house party and some guy you just met is breathing into your stomach while he unzips your fly. What do you need to know before you shove your dick in his mouth? Blowjobs should be a great time for everyone involved, and getting rid of any misconceptions about HIV and STIs means you can enjoy the moment without worry. Dick-sucking isn't what we'd call high risk. The lining of your mouth is strong, and saliva actually contains antibodies that neutralise and deactivate the virus. So it's pretty hard to infect the skin inside your mouth - but you should still check for cuts and ulcers both in the mouth and on the cock, because these can create a path for HIV to get into your bloodstream.

For HIV to be transmitted from one person to another, four conditions need to be met. If any one of these conditions are not met, HIV cannot be passed on. HIV may be infectious in five body fluids: blood, semen, secretions in the vagina, secretions in the rectum, and breast milk. HIV is not infectious in saliva, urine, faeces or tears. Quantity: HIV must be present at sufficient levels to cause infection. At undetectable levels, HIV can not be transmitted during sex.

A partnership where one person is infected with HIV and the other is not can be described as a sero-discordant or discordant relationship. There is a risk of HIV transmission if the discordant couple has unprotected sex. However, this risk can be greatly reduced with the use of condoms during vaginal, anal and oral sex. Both partners in a discordant sexual relationship should take on the responsibility of protecting one another from HIV infection. Although anyone can be at risk for HIV, some people can be more at risk depending upon the types of sexual practices and drug use they are engaging in.

Oral sex is not likely to transmit HIV under most circumstances. Many large studies have shown that a person living with HIV who takes HIV drugs and has an undetectable viral load too little virus in the body for a test to measure cannot transmit the virus to their sexual partners. This includes any kind of sex, including oral sex — and sex without using condoms or barriers.