Kinsey Report
Dr. June Reinisch
Friday, April 1, 1988
‘Poppers’ and AIDS
Researchers haven’t found a link between them.
Dear Dr. Reinisch,
What are the effects of using the liquids commonly referred to as “poppers” during sexual activity? These are sold in small bottles and one inhales or sniffs the aroma. I think they contain amyl nitrite or butyl nitrite, and their use is common practice among some groups.
Recently I heard a rumor connecting poppers with an increased risk of AIDS. Is this true? What are the risks if a person used poppers two or three times a month?
Dear Reader,
Recent research compiled for a federal government study concluded that “the use of nitrites (poppers) does not cause AIDS.”
The question has been raised as to whether use of nitrite vapors may be linked to the incidence of Kaposi’s sarcoma (a usually rare type of skin tumor) among people who already have AIDS, but the answer is not yet clear. One study suggested a link, but other—larger--studies have not supported this.
Remember that the AIDS virus does not usually kill patients directly. Instead it weakens the body’s immune system so that a patient is much more susceptible to a wide array of serous diseases (Kaposi’s sarcoma is only one of these.)
Both amyl nitrite (sold as a prescription drug to treat some heart problems) and butyl nitrite or isobutyl nitrite have been widely used for years because of the belief that they enhance sexual response. Physically, the nitrite vapors produce a brief drop in blood pressure and an increase in blood flow I the brain. Called “poppers”, these nitrites have been popular among some groups.
Regardless of what research concludes about poppers, a person should follow safer sex guidelines to reduce the risk of exposure to HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). These include the use of condoms.
