Skip to main content

Table 2 Knowledge of transmission

From: Knowledge of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases among men who have sex with men in Finland

Did you know this about HIV and sexually transmitted infections

I already knew this %

I was not certain about this %

I did not yet know this %

I don’t understand this %

I don’t believe this %

HIV cannot be passed during kissing, including deep kissing, because saliva does not transmit HIV (n = 2059)

77.0

17.2

2.4

0.3

3.1

You can pick up HIV through your penis while being ‘active’ in unprotected anal or vaginal sex (fucking) with an infected partner, even if you don’t ejaculate (n = 2054)

93.0

5.6

0.9

0.0

0.4

You can pick up HIV through your rectum while being ‘passive’ in unprotected anal sex (being fucked) with an infected partner (n = 2058)

98.0

1.5

0.3

0.0

0.1

Even without ejaculation, oral sex (sucking and being sucked) carries a risk of infection with syphilis or gonorrhoea (n = 2059)

85.3

11.9

2.5

0.0

0.2

When HIV infected and uninfected men have sex together, the chances of HIV being passed on are greater if either partner has another sexually transmitted infection (n = 2055)

49.2

23.1

24.4

1.3

1.9

Most sexually transmitted infections can be passed on more easily than HIV (n = 2053)

77.8

14.3

6.0

0.4

1.5