Basic Types of Sexual  Behavior

3. Homosexual Intercourse: Anal Intercourse

Notes of Caution

HIV/AIDS risk Casual partners may be infected with HIV/AIDS without knowing it. Therefore, unprotected anal intercourse with them carries a high risk of infection, especially for the “receiving” partner. Courtesy BZgA, Cologne

In view of the current HIV/AIDS pandemic and the world-wide increase of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), males should understand the risk of infection through anal intercourse with casual, new, and unfamiliar partners. Even familiar partners may unknowingly have become infected if they, in turn, had casual partners. The risk is greatest for the partner being penetrated and thus receiving possibly infected semen. The penetrating partner runs a lower risk, but is also well advised to use a condom. Homosexual anal intercourse is one of the main paths of HIV/AIDS transmission.

Finally, there is another risk behavior that should be mentioned: Licking the anus (anilinctus). This carries the risk of infection with a number of serious intestinal diseases (shigellosis, amebiasis, lambliasis, salmonellosis, parasitic worm infestations, etc.) as well as the “classic” sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis B, etc.