HIV: Levels of Risk

Different sexual activities can increase or decrease your risk of getting HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

No Risk –Activities that do not include an exchange of bodily fluids:

• Holding or hugging.
• Dry kissing.
• Masturbation (alone).
• Foreplay (without bodily fluid exchange).

Safer – Barrier-protected activities or very little bodily fluid contact:

• French or deep kissing.
• Mutual masturbation, with a barrier to prevent fluid exchange.
• Oral sex with a condom, dam or plastic wrap.
• Analingus (rimming, butt licking) with a dam or plastic wrap.
• Vaginal intercourse with a condom.
• Anal intercourse with a condom.

Risky – Activities during which exchange of bodily fluids might create some danger of transmitting HIV:

• Vaginal sex without a condom, with a monogamous partner who tested negative for HIV.
• Anal sex without a condom, with a monogamous partner who tested negative for HIV.
• Vaginal sex with a needle-using partner, using a condom.

High Risk – Unprotected intercourse without a barrier:

• Oral sex with fluid exchange (no barrier).
• Oral sex without a barrier, with a partner who tested positive for HIV.
• Oral sex without a barrier, with a prostitute.
• Vaginal intercourse without a condom.
• Vaginal sex without a condom, with a partner whose sexual history you do not know.
• Vaginal sex without a condom, with a man who has sex with men.
• Vaginal sex without a condom, with a partner who has had sex with a needle-using drug user.
• Anal intercourse without a condom.
• Analingus (rimming, butt licking) without a dam or plastic wrap.

You Can Choose to Be Safe

It’s not who you are that puts you at risk for HIV or other STIs; it’s what you do. Choose from these pledges:

• I can choose not to have sex.
• I can choose only to have safer sex and always use a condom correctly.
• I can choose to say no to alcohol and other drugs.
• I can talk to my partner about sex, STIs and HIV.

The above information is from “A Teen’s guide to HIV and AIDS,” Journeyworks Publishing, 1995. All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate or reproduce by electronic or any other means without express permission from the publisher.

Additional Resources

• HIV Rap Interactive — Watch a video, answer a quiz to assess your HIV risk, or just learn more about sexual health strategies to protect you and your partner using this collection of interactive, multimedia, science-based HIV information, prevention resources, and personal stories.
• Know the Risks — This interactive HIV/AIDS Information and Personal Risk Assessment Center can help you to better understand your risks for HIV and learn more about prevention strategies. The survey and learning activities are also available in Spanish.

Last Reviewed: September 2019