How The Study Worked
The study focused on HIVpositive French men who requested sperm washing from 2002 through 2011. All men were heterosexual and had a stable relationship with a female partner. All men were taking combination antiretroviral therapy.
The researchers measured virus in paired blood and semen samples from each man. The tests used to measure HIV could detect as few as 40 copies of HIV RNA per milliliter of blood and 100 copies per milliliter of semen.
In one third of the men, the researchers also used more sensitive tests to measure HIV RNA in blood and HIV DNA in blood cells. HIV DNA is the form HIV takes when resting inside cells that it infects. These sensitive tests could detect 1 copy of HIV RNA per milliliter of blood and 5 copies of HIV DNA per 150,000 blood cells.
What Happens If You Eat Your Own Sperm
I’m worried. What happens if you eat your own sperm?
Dear Reader,
When sperm is ingested by swallowing semen, the sperm will be broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream as if consuming water, milk, or gelatin. If it’s semen that a person is worried about, ingesting one’s own semen is safe if that person is free of sexually transmitted infections .
On the other hand, swallowing one’s own semen is unsafe if a person has certain STIs. In this case, the risk depends on what STI a person has, its method of transmission, and the area of infection. With swallowing semen, the primary concern is with infections that localize in the genitals, mouth, and/or throat. If the infection can be transferred through semen, and it can infect different locations independently, then there is a chance that the infection can spread to the mouth or throat. This type of infection includes gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Certain STIs, such as human papillomavirus , herpes, and syphilis, spread through direct, skin-to-skin or oral-genital contact. Some men can, and do, go down on themselves. If they have HPV, herpes, and/or syphilis, the infection can spread from their penis to their lips, mouth, or throat.
Swallowing one’s own semen does not pose health risks with respect to systemic infections . These infections are in the bloodstream and their symptoms are present throughout the body.
So if you’re STI-free, feel free to indulge yourself! Just be careful you don’t spoil your dinner.
Semenhance: A Natural Semen Flavor Enhancer
SemEnhance is a natural semen taste enhancer. Yes, it is a so called cum-flavor pill. They do exist, and there is a good reason for that.
What It Does: SemEnhance helps to make semen taste better. Its made with a series of natural sweeteners that are known to make semen taste a lot more enjoyable. A look inside the SemEnhance formula reveals why.
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What The Heck Is In Semen Anyway
Semen is a mans seed. Its a viscous, creamy or slightly yellow or grey substance that contains sperm and a liquid called seminal plasma.
To put it another way, semen is a liquid made of two things: the sperm and the fluid. Although with the former making just 1 to 5% of the actual semen, its mostly fluid.
Sperm are like little tadpoles. Theyre your swimmers and special ones at that. Sperm contain half the genetic information needed to make a human life. No sperm, no offspring. Its as simple as that.
Hiv Can Be Found In Semen Even When Viral Load Is Undetectable In Blood
HIV can be detected in semen of men who have an undetectable viral load in blood, according to results of a 304-man study. This finding underlines the importance of using condoms when having sex, even if a man is taking antiretroviral therapy and has an undetectable viral load in blood. If HIV can be detected in semen — even at low levels — there may be a chance that it can be transmitted to a female or male sex partner.
Several studies show that sex partners of HIV-positive people taking antiretrovirals have a lower risk of becoming infected with HIV than do partners of people not taking antiretrovirals. As a result, some HIV experts and public health officials believe everyone with HIV should start antiretroviral therapy as a way to prevent the spread of HIV. U.S. antiretroviral guidelines say everyone with HIV should start antiretroviral therapy, regardless of CD4 count.
Some officials argue that antiretroviral-treated people with an undetectable viral load in blood and without another sexually transmitted infection can safely have sex without a condom because they are highly unlikely to pass their HIV along to a sex partner. But this proposal remains controversial, partly because studies in the past 10 years show that HIV can be detected in semen even when it is not detected in blood.
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Can You Get Hiv From Swallowing Semen
Yes, you can. The odds are lower than an exchange of blood, but it is very possible.It is possible to get HIV from swallowing ejaculate, although this is not the behavior with the highest risk. There may be openings, even if you don’t feel them in any way, in the membranes of the mouth and/or throat. The infection could make entry there.In most cases , yes. HIV can spread from semen. Also HIV can be spread by breast milk, blood and other fluids that enter your body from a HIV infected personThe act of oral sex with an infected partner would be much more likely to lead to the transmission of HIV than any ejaculate, however it is technically possible that the virus could be transmitted while the semen is traveling through the esophagus, especially in the presence of any open wounds en route.Yes, any type of contact with bodily fluids that are infected with HIV will put you at risk for HIV.Yes. In order for HIV to be transmitted between two indviduals it must pass from body fluid to body fluid.Normally, the digestive enzymes in the mouth will destroy HIV virus, but if the person performing oral sex has a cut in the mouth, they can get HIV, if the man has HIV.
Best way to prevent HIV while performing oral sex is to use a condom.1) To put it bluntly, yes….
2) However the chances are low as oral sex carries less risk.
3) Stomach acid is very inhospitable to microbes. Not to mention saliva contains lysozomes that lyses the membrane of microbes.
How To Safeguard Your Sexual Health
Using condoms and dental dams will reduce the risk of STI transmission during oral sex. But whilst it’s useful to highlight specific issues and infections that relate to oral sex, it is important to first look at the bigger picture says Dr Anna Pallecaros, who runs a specialist genitourinary medicine clinic at the Princess Grace Hospital in London.
“Our detection methods for STIs have moved on so much from having to grow organisms in a laboratory to minute detection with DNA targets,” she explains. “Exposure to germs does not necessarily lead to transmission, nor transmission to disease. During sex – including oral sex – we share a whole ecosystem of organisms. These shared microbiota can influence each other, including the ability of an unwanted germ to cause disease.”
So remaining sexually healthy is as much about one’s own microflora and immune response as it is about a sexual partner’s. Nevertheless, if you are concerned that you may have been exposed to an STI when giving or receiving oral sex, you can attend your local sexual health clinic for a check.
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Swallowing Semen: Should I Spit Or Swallow
Thats up to you. If youve both been tested recently for STIs and you dont have an allergy to it, swallowing semen appears to be safe. It may even boost your mood.
If you dont like the taste, you can easily spit.
Remember to tell your dude that he needs to watch his diet if he doesnt want his semen to taste like battery acid. Were not completely kidding when we say that. The good news: by avoiding certain foods and adding others, he can make swallowing semen a little more enjoyable for you.
And if that doesnt do it for you, youve got another option as well.
Oral Sex And Hiv Acquisition
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 cannot transmit the virus to their sexual partners. This includes any kind of sex, including oral sex and sex without using condoms or barriers. This reality is known in the HIV community as Undetectable Equals Untransmittable, or U=U.
When a person living with HIV is not on treatment, oral sex is still a low-risk activity for HIV. If a person is not taking HIV drugs and/or has a detectable viral load, that low chance of transmission is greater if one of the partners has bleeding gums, mouth ulcers, gum disease, genital sores, and other sexually transmitted infections or diseases .
A number of studies have tried to figure out the exact level of HIV transmission risk that oral sex poses, but this is not easy to do. When HIV is transmitted, it is difficult to tell if oral sex or another activity that poses more risk was responsible.
The chances of HIV being passed from one person to another depend on the type of contact. HIV is most easily spread or transmitted through unprotected anal sex, unprotected vaginal sex, and sharing injection drug equipment that has not been cleaned. Unprotected sex means sex in which no condoms, other barriers, or HIV treatment-as-prevention methods are used.
For HIV transmission to be possible:
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Does Hiv Viral Load Affect Getting Or Transmitting Hiv
Yes. Viral load is the amount of HIV in the blood of someone who has HIV. Taking HIV medicine daily as prescribed can make the viral load very lowso low that a test cant detect it .
People with HIV who take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex.
HIV medicine is a powerful tool for preventing sexual transmission of HIV. But it works only as long as the HIV-positive partner gets and keeps an undetectable viral load. Not everyone taking HIV medicine has an undetectable viral load. To stay undetectable, people with HIV must take HIV medicine every day as prescribed and visit their healthcare provider regularly to get a viral load test. Learn more.
Can Sexually Transmitted Infections Be Treated
Most sexually transmitted infections are easily treated but treatment should be started as soon as possible.
Some infections, such as HIV, never leave the body and cannot be cured. There are drugs available that can reduce the symptoms and help prevent or delay the development of late stage HIV infection.
If left untreated, many sexually transmitted infections can be painful or uncomfortable, can permanently damage your health and fertility, and can be passed on to a partner.
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If You Swallow The Semen Of An Hiv
The risk of acquiring HIV during oral sex is pretty low, but it isn’t zero. Taking your partner’s ejaculate in your mouth appears to make transmission more likely. Almost all of the individuals who say that oral sex must have been the way they acquired HIV and whose cases have been medically evaluated mention that they took ejaculate in the mouth.
It isn’t actually the swallowing that matters, it’s probably having the ejaculate in your mouth . In the stomach, digestive enzymes and acidity may inactivate HIV.
But the risk of acquiring HIV during vaginal or anal sex is far, far higher than during oral sex. It’s also worth remembering that when a person with HIV receives antiretroviral treatment, the amount of HIV in his body fluids falls dramatically. Put simply there will be very little HIV in his semen, so transmission is highly unlikely. This applies to all forms of sex, including oral sex.
Can I Get An Infection If My Partner Gives Me Oral Sex
Yes, you could be at risk of an infection if a partner has licked, kissed or sucked your penis, vulva, vagina or anus. You will not be exposed to their genital fluids, so it is thought that the risk of getting an infection is lower than if you perform oral sex.
When you receive oral sex, infections can pass to you if a partner has a sexual infection that can give them blisters or sores on the lips or in the mouth, or a sore throat, or if blood from a partners mouth or lips gets into your body.
It is easier for the infection to pass to you if you have sores, cuts, ulcers or inflamed skin around your genitals and anal area.
Infections that can be passed on by receiving oral sex include herpes, gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, hepatitis B and HIV.
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How Is Hiv Spread From Person To Person
HIV can only be spread through specific activities. In the United States, the most common ways are:
- Having vaginal or anal sex with someone who has HIV without using a condom or taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV. Anal sex is riskier than vaginal sex.
- Sharing injection drug equipment , such as needles, with someone who has HIV.
Less common ways are:
- From mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. However, the use of HIV medicines and other strategies have helped lower the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV to 1% or less in the United States.
- Getting stuck with an HIV-contaminated needle or other sharp object. This is a risk mainly for health care workers. The risk is very low.
HIV is spread only in extremely rare cases by:
- Having oral sex. But in general, the chance that an HIV-negative person will get HIV from oral sex with an HIV-positive partner is extremely low.
First Up: What Is Semen Made Of
It’s not just sperm. As Nelson Bennett, MD, urologist at Northwestern Memorial, previously told Men’s Health, semen is 80% water. “It also contains proteins and amino acids,” Bennett said. “It has fructose and glucose , zinc, calcium, vitamin C, and a few other nutrients.”
Did someone say protein? There isn’t much of it: According to Healthline, a 2013 review of studies published in the Journal of Andrologyfound that the average protein concentration of semen is 5,040 milligrams per 100 ml. And since the average ejaculation expels roughly 5 mL of semen, that means there are roughly 252 mg of protein in a single, er, serving.
Semen also has very few calories, Dr. Justin Lehmiller, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Kinsey Institute and author of Tell Me What You Want, explained in a 2o14 blog post on swallowing semen. “Most estimates Ive seen put the number of calories in a ‘serving’ of semen somewhere between 1 and 5,” he wrote.
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Is Swallowing Semen Safe
Generally, yes. Semen is a natural substance. Both sperm and the seminal fluid are usually safe to swallow.
In very rare cases, some people have an allergy to swallowing semen. This is called human seminal plasma hypersensitivity . Its very uncommon, but if you find that swallowing semen leads to an allergic reaction of any kind, speak with your doctor immediately.
Also and this is important swallowing semen can lead to a sexually transmitted disease, like gonorrhea and chlamydia. Swallowing semen can also lead to skin-to-skin viral infections, like herpes.
To avoid this issue, you may want to avoid swallowing semen or having unprotected sex for that matter including oral stimulation. Just until youve had a conversation with your partner about when either of you were last tested, or whether you should get tested again.
Stay On Top Of Oral Hygiene
Having open sores, ulcers, or cuts in your mouth can let HIV into your bloodstream. Practice good oral hygiene and avoid vigorous brushing that can cause your gums to bleed.
If Ds on the menu, give your mouth a once-over before heading out, er, or down.
Skip oral or use a barrier if you have open sores or cuts.
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How Do You Bring This Up To Other Current Or Potential Partners
Ideally, youll have the convo at a time and place thats private and free of interruptions.
Keep it simple and to the point, and be willing to answer their questions honestly. Let them know what youre doing about it, like taking PEP, and when youre supposed to get your results.
Be prepared that they might not be comfortable with getting intimate until you know your status, and respect their decision.
If youre gonna get busy, there are plenty of precautions you and your sexual partner can take to reduce the risk of HIV.
Is It Unhealthy For Me To Swallow His Sperm
Lucy, 18 asks:
My boyfriend and I have been giving each other oral sex for a while now, but I have just started giving him blowjobs. Is it unhealthy for me to swallow his sperm? Will I get any illnesses from this?
Susie replies:
Yes, you can get illnesses from swallowing semen. It is possible to get throat infections of gonorrhea and chlamydia if you swallow infected semen. Semen can contain HIV and Hepatitis B, too. And even if you didn’t swallow the semen, just the oral friction contact between you and his penis can transmit syphilis and herpes . Many studies have also shown that HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer and genital warts, is linked to throat cancers in people who regularly engaged in unprotected oral sex.
Oral sex is not a perfectly safe activity. If you both haven’t been tested for STIs lately, you shouldn’t assume you are both clear of infections. To enjoy safer oral sex , get tested for STIs every 6 months, use a flavored condom when you give him oral sex, and let him cover your vulva with a sheet of plastic wrap when he performs oral sex on you. Some people might complain that the latex and plastic lessen sensations, but you can solve that issue with a dab of water-based lube on the genitals.
For more info on safer oral sex, please read:
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