Home Contact Us Register as a Supporter Links
Safe / Safer Sex
Code of Practice
Certificates
GUM Clinics
STDs
HIV
Risks







Supporters
 

Kissing

There is no risk of catching HIV from kissing, no matter how hard you may want to tongue wrestle. Although very small quantities of HIV have been detected in saliva, your saliva also has properties that disable HIV so it would be impossible to swallow enough saliva to become infected with HIV. And anyway, when people talk about the potential risk of catching HIV from saliva they say that you’d have to drink pints of it, which apart from being an unpleasant thought, is extremely hard to do (see how long it takes you to fill even a small glass if you don’t believe us).
You can pick up herpes and glandular fever from kissing though, so it’s probably best to avoid kissing anyone with visible cold sores around their mouth.

 

The GAIKISS website is for information only. Although every attempt is made to keep the content correct and completely up to date it should not be relied upon as the sole source of information on STIs, treatments and risk assessment. Sexual risk information provided by GMFA – the gay men’s health charity. For more information about HIV, AIDS and gay men’s sexual health visit www.gmfa.org.ukSpecific advice should always be obtained from professional sources.
GAIKISS 2008