Alcohol boosts HIV risk from oral sex

Lab experiments have shown that cells that line the mouth become more susceptible to infection with HIV when they're exposed to alcohol.While alcohol consumption has been linked to HIV infection, most studies have only focused on its effects on risky sexual behaviour rather than any direct effect on the mechanism of infection. To investigate, researchers form the UCLA Dental Institute, USA, exposed cells from the lining or epithelium of the mouth obtained from HIV-negative individuals to various concentrations of alcohol, and then to a strain of HIV modified with green fluorescent protein in order to make the detection of infection easier. Oral epithelial cells exposed to 4% ethanol for 10 minutes showed three- to six-fold greater susceptibility to infection with HIV.
The finding suggests that drinking alcohol may facilitate HIV infection by oral sex. The researchers found that the ethanol concentrations they tested were similar to the alcohol content of beer, which is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage.

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