Kissing and HIV

Dear Mona,

Can I get HIV from kissing?

Dear Kissing Kuety,

The answer isn't a simple yes or no, because the risk factors may vary.

HIV isn't transmitted casually, so you can't get it from a hug, handshake or a kiss on, say, your cheek. However, lip-locking with an open mouth may be a slightly different story depending on the circumstances. According to About.com HIV/AIDS expert Mark Cichocki, R.N., "Open-mouth kissing is considered a very low-risk activity for the transmission of HIV. However, prolonged open-mouth kissing could damage the mouth or lips and allow HIV to pass from an infected person to a partner and then enter the body through cuts or sores in the mouth."

Yours puckered up, Mona