VaNurse said:
SixFive: Please cite your source on your statement "a true lesbian is at less risk to catch HIV than a hetero man or woman" because it's simply not true. Think about it; how could it be?
How could it not be, there is no penis involved!
for reference, I'm trying to find some for you now, but I know that women who only have sexual relations with women (a true lesbian) are the lowest risk category for contracting HIV (all other drug use, tattoo, piercing, etc activities excluded).
Found 2 things: will cite the source then cut and paste the info below it.
http://www.thebody.com/bp/janfeb02/women_risk.html
"Women Who Have Sex With Women (WSW)
Female-to-female transmission of HIV appears to be a rare occurrence. However, case reports of female-to-female transmission of HIV and the well documented risk of female-to-male transmission of HIV indicate that vaginal secretions and menstrual blood are potentially infectious and that mucous membrane (e.g., oral, vaginal) exposure to these secretions have the potential to lead to HIV infection.
What do surveillance tools tell us about transmission between women?
Through December 1998, 109,311 women were reported with AIDS. Of these, 2,220 were reported to have had sex with women; however, the vast majority had other risks (such as injection drug use, sex with high-risk men, or receipt of blood or blood products). Of the 347 (out of 2,220) women who were reported to have had sex only with women, 98% also had another risk -- injection drug use in most cases.
Note: information on whether a woman had sex with women is missing in half of the 109,311 case reports, possibly because the physician did not elicit the information or the woman did not volunteer it.
What do investigations of female-to-female transmission show?
Women with AIDS whose only reported risk initially is sex with women are given high priority for follow-up investigation. As of December 1998, none of these investigations had confirmed female-to-female HIV transmission, either because other risks were subsequently identified or because, in a few cases, women declined to be interviewed. A separate study of more than 1 million female blood donors found no HIV-infected women whose only risk was sex with women. These findings suggest that female-to-female transmission of HIV is uncommon. However, they do not negate the possibility because it could be masked by other behaviors. "
and this
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite.jsp?doc=2098.4527&page=pr-04-02
"How many lesbians in the US have HIV/AIDS?
Answered by Mary Salome, HIV InSite Prevention Producer
Question
How many lesbians in the US have HIV/AIDS?
Answer
Thanks for your question. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) monitor transmission of HIV among several different groups, including women who have sex with women. Whether the women included in that group identify as lesbians or not isn't clear. In addition, the CDC note that "information on whether a woman had sex with women is missing in half of the 109,311 case reports, possibly because the physician did not elicit the information or the woman did not volunteer it." These factors make it difficult to answer your question.
That said, according to the CDC, 109,311 women were reported as having AIDS as of December, 1998. Of those, 2,220 reported that they had had sex with women. 347 of that group reported having sex exclusively with women. 98% of the 347 "also had another risk -- injection drug use in most cases." I couldn't find any information about the numbers of lesbians or women who have sex with women who are HIV-positive but do not have AIDS. "
