Is it true that a man can only get HIV from having sex with another man?
By Amy @ Planned Parenthood | Oct. 14, 2010, 11:53 a.m.
Category: Ask the Experts
Is it true that a man can only get HIV/AIDS from having sexual intercourse with another man and not from having sex with a woman?
No, that’s not true. A person can get HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) by having unprotected sex with an infected partner — whether that partner is a woman or a man. Unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse are higher risk than unprotected oral sex.
These are the other ways a person can get HIV:
- sharing needles or syringes with someone who has the virus
- getting HIV-infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions into open wounds or sores
- being deeply punctured with a needle or surgical instrument contaminated with the virus
HIV can also be passed from a woman to her fetus during pregnancy or birth.
These are the ways to reduce the risk of passing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections:
- Keep your partner’s body fluids out of your body — vagina, anus, or mouth. The body fluids to be most careful about are blood, ejaculate, pre-ejaculate, vaginal fluids, and the discharge from sores caused by sexually transmitted infections.
- Don’t touch sores or growths that are caused by sexually transmitted infections.
- Use latex or internal condoms because they are effective barriers.
- Don’t mix drugs or alcohol with sex — their use can encourage people to take risks they wouldn’t take if they weren’t high.