HIV Risk Without Ejaculation During Sex

Sex without ejaculation may reduce the overall risk of HIV transmission, but it doesn't necessarily prevent it. That's because HIV in precum (pre-seminal fluid) can still put you at risk.

Most people know that HIV is mainly transmitted through sex, however, the risk is not the same for all types of sex. Each type of sexual contact carries its own risk of HIV transmission. Receptive anal sex, for instance, carries a higher risk of infection than receptive vaginal sex. Oral sex has the lowest risk of transmission.

This article aims to explore the factors that contribute to HIV transmission and whether "pulling out" is an effective strategy to prevent HIV. In addition, the article will examine ways to reduce the risk of HIV if external (or "male" condoms) and internal (or "female" condoms) are not used consistently.

HIV in Pre-seminal Fluid

You can only get HIV by coming into direct contact with certain body fluids from a person with HIV. These fluids are:

• Anal secretions
• Blood
• Breast milk
• Semen
• Vaginal fluids

Although pulling out before ejaculation decreases the overall risk of transmission, it doesn't prevent it altogether. Why? Because pre-seminal fluid can contain the virus too.

In people with HIV, pre-seminal fluid is just as potentially infectious as semen, containing roughly the same concentration of HIV. This means that even if the insertive partner pulls out before ejaculation, the receptive partner can still be exposed to HIV through pre-seminal fluids.

Can You Get HIV From One Exposure?

It's possible for a person to become infected with HIV after one exposure. However, the risk level varies depending on the type of exposure or behavior.

Risk Factors

People often consider pre-seminal fluid to be less of a risk with respect to HIV because the volume of fluid released is generally lower than semen. However, there are numerous factors that can increase that risk.

Pre-seminal Fluid Volume

It's normal for males to produce anywhere from a few drops to more than 5 mL of pre-cum. However, an older study found that some men can produce high amounts of pre-cum, especially after a prolonged period of abstinence.

HIV Viral Load

An untreated HIV infection can lead to a high viral load. The HIV viral load is a measure of the number of viruses in a sample of blood, ranging from undetectable to well over a million. A higher viral load in the blood corresponds to a higher concentration of viruses in pre-cum.

Anal Sex

The risk of HIV from anal sex is high because rectal tissues are delicate and easily broken. This allows the virus to pass directly into the bloodstream.

At the same time, the rectum has only a single layer of cells overlying tissues that are rich in immune cells called CD4 T cells. These are the very cells that HIV targets and infects. Because of this, even a small volume of fluid may establish an infection.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), syphilis, gonorrhea, and herpes can increase your risk of getting HIV in the future. Some STDs like syphilis cause ulcers that provide HIV easy access into the body. Others like gonorrhea cause inflammation that draws immune cells, including CD4 T-cells, to the site of infection, giving HIV more targets to infect. These factors can raise the risk of infection.

HIV Shedding

An STI or similar infection can also increase the number of viruses in semen through a process known as viral shedding. The inflammation caused by the infection can speed up the production of the HIV virus in the tissues of the genitals. The viruses are then "shed" into semen and pre-seminal fluid, increasing their infectiousness.

Even people with an undetectable viral load in the blood can have detectable HIV in semen and pre-seminal fluid as a result of shedding.

Weighing the Risks

In the end, there is no hard and fast rule as to "how much" or "how little" pre-seminal fluid is needed to cause an HIV infection. There are many variables that play a role in determining a person's risk.

While pulling out before ejaculation may reduce the chances of transmission, it does not eliminate it. For example, an older study showed that condomless receptive anal sex with ejaculation was found to be approximately twice as risky as condomless receptive unprotected anal intercourse with withdrawal. While the risk of contracting HIV is lower with withdrawal, there is definitely a risk.

If you don't use external or internal condoms consistently, there are ways to reduce the risk of getting HIV or passing it to others:

• If you don't have HIV, you can start taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is available as a daily pill or as an injection given every two months. Using PrEP can greatly reduce your risk of getting HIV.
• If you have HIV, you can reduce the risk of infecting others to zero if you achieve an undetectable viral load by taking antiretroviral therapy.

Summary

Pulling out before ejaculation does not prevent the transmission of HIV. Pre-seminal fluid contains roughly as much HIV as semen. And, even though fluid volumes tend to be smaller, there may be enough to cause an infection. Factors like a high viral load, having an STI, or engaging in anal sex can increase the risk.

If you don't use external or internal condoms consistently, consider starting pre-exposure (PrEP) to reduce your risk of acquiring the virus.

If you are concerned that you've been exposed to HIV, don't wait to get tested. Instead, head to your nearest clinic to request post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). This is a strategy in which antiretroviral drugs are taken for 28 days after exposure to avoid an HIV infection.

PEP needs to be started no later than 72 hours after possible exposure, ideally within 48 hours. A rapid HIV test is given beforehand to ensure you don't have HIV. Another HIV test is given afterward to confirm whether the infection has been prevented.

If you have HIV, you can substantially reduce the risk of transmission by consistently using antiretroviral therapy and maintaining an undetectable viral load.