WATCH: Danny Pintauro on How He Contracted HIV

After having revealed to Oprah Winfrey that he's been HIV-positive for 12 years, former child star Danny Pintauro has disclosed how he believes he contracted the virus -- through oral sex.

The onetime Who's the Boss? cast member says he was religious about safer-sex practices because he was so paranoid about HIV, but he let his guard down because of his drug use -- he was at one point addicted to crystal meth.

"Believe it or not, with this guy [from who he contracted the virus], I was actually safe," he told Us magazine in a video interview posted online Monday. "We did use condoms. I got it another way, which was through oral sex, which is a complicated story. When you put all these things together, like a compromised immune system, having been up for a long time, rough sex, lesions in your mouth, maybe, mixing of bodily fluids, it's that easy."

The Centers for Disease Control and Infection notes that the risk of HIV transmission during oral sex is not as great as during anal or vaginal sex, but oral sex is not risk-free. "Even though oral sex carries a lower risk of HIV transmission than other sexual activities, the risk is not zero," the CDC's website cautions. "It is difficult to measure the exact risk because people who practice oral sex may also practice other forms of sex during the same encounter."

Trending stories

Gerald Garth is determined to keep people of color happy and healthy through trying times

SFAF's Dr. Tyler TerMeer says he'll continue to fight for health care for all

Discover why chic Costa Navarino is Europe's luxury getaway

Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award alongside industry giants like Vogue, People, and Variety

How 'fruity' went from a slur to reclaimed gay slang

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

Pride journey Walla Walla: An LGBTQ+ wine, food, and adventure getaway

Davey Wavey's new gay show includes plenty of steamy scenes from sexy adult entertainers

Amanda Seyfried says she only exists to make the gays happy

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Exclusive: Mike Maimone honors late husband Howard Bragman in new single “On My Way”

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

Luxury and community in South of France at Cinq & Sept

Here's why this Mediterranean Virgin Voyages cruise belongs on your bucket list

Trump is coming for your poppers: Major producer closes amid FDA crackdown

Lexi Love goes public with HIV status after Trump wipes resources from federal website

15 Queer soccer legends who have played in the NWSL

Gay icons collide in ​'Freakier Friday​' trailer

Tamar Braxton spills on new cooking show, sends message to LGBTQ+ fans

Gay horror comedy ‘The Parenting’ is light scares but heavy on heart — and dick jokes

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

Nathan Lane had 'slight flirtation' with Gene Hackman in 'The Birdcage'

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

Antoni goes abroad — and finds there's 'No Taste Like Home'

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

"Performing oral sex on an HIV-infected man, with ejaculation in the mouth, is the riskiest oral sex activity," the site further states. "Factors that may increase the risk of HIV transmission through oral sex are oral ulcers, bleeding gums, genital sores, and the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases." Risk can be reduced by using condoms or other barriers during oral sex or by avoiding ejaculation in the mouth, the CDC adds.

The CDC also notes that while injection-drug use is a direct route of transmission, other types of drug use lower inhibitions, making people more likely to engage in risky behavior.

Pintauro did not provide additional details about the transmission or his sexual partner in the encounter, but said he is trying to find the man. He had forgotten the man's name until he ran across it in an email, he told Us.

Below, watch the interview, in which Pintauro also discusses how he met his husband, Wil Tabares; the challenge of finding an understanding partner when you're HIV-positive; and the support he's received from Who's the Boss? cast mates Judith Light, Tony Danza, and Alyssa Milano.