hiv transmission risks

Source:  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report
Issued as "Recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services"

Anyone who is sexually active should be aware of the risks of his or her behavior. The baseline: All sex acts carry some degree of risk. The level of risk, however, is not neatly divided between anal sex without condoms (unsafe) and everything else (safe).  That type of hyperbole is spread by well-meaning HIV-prevention activists, but it is not accurate. The CDC report on transmission risks from exposure is very clear:

Although the estimated per-act transmission risk from unprotected exposure to a partner known to be HIV infected is relatively low for different types of exposure (Table 1), different nonoccupational exposures are associated with different levels of risk.  The highest levels of estimated per-act risk for HIV transmission are associated with blood transfusion, needle sharing by injection-drug users, receptive anal intercourse, and percutaneous needlestick injuries. Insertive anal intercourse, penile-vaginal exposures, and oral sex represent substantially less per-act risk.

According to the Recommendations from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, the highest risk in sexual behavior is associated with receptive anal intercourse. Substantially less risk is associated with insertive anal intercourse and oral sex.