Former "Who's The Boss?" Star Danny Pintauro: I Contracted HIV Through Oral Sex

"Who's The Boss?" star Danny Pintauro

Last week, former Who's The Boss? star Danny Pintauro shared with Oprah Winfrey that he has been HIV+ for twelve years.

Now, in an interview with US Weekly, Pintauro reveals that he contracted HIV via oral sex.

“Believe it or not, with this guy I was actually safe. We did use condoms,” Pintauro, who played Jonathan on Who’s the Boss? from 1984 to 1992, tells Us in his exclusive interview. “I got it another way, which was through oral sex. When you put all of these nasty things together, like a compromised immune system, having been up for a long time, drugs, rough sex, all of that combined with lesions in your mouth, bodily fluids, it’s that easy.”

During his same interview with Oprah, Pintauro revealed he was previously addicted to crystal meth. He contracted HIV around the same time he was struggling with substance abuse.

Although there are very few documented cases of contracting HIV through oral sex, according to the CDC it is possible: “The risk of HIV transmission through oral sex is much less than that from anal or vaginal sex — but it is not zero.”

Pintauro is currently on his "Beacon of Light" Tour whose message is to spread awareness about HIV and the dangers of crystal meth use

He is also participating in the HIV Equal Campaign, which aims to eliminate HIV stigma.

Former "Who's The Boss?" Star Danny Pintauro Comes Out As HIV+

Former "Who's The Boss?" star Danny Pintauro shared with the TV audience of "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" that he was diagnosed with HIV in 2003.

Via EXTRA:

"I wanted to tell you this a long time ago, but I wasn't ready — I'm ready now — that I'm HIV positive," Pintauro told Oprah. He was diagnosed 12 years ago but feared admitting the truth because, "It's just a big deal."

Pintauro said he wants to be open about his status to help others. ""I missed the opportunity to be a beacon of light for gay kids who were going through what I was going through because I was outed — it wasn't by choice."

Pentauro also acknowledged that he became a crystal meth user (he no longer uses the drug) during a period of time after the end of a two-year relationship. He said he began experimenting with the drug the same year he was diagnosed with HIV.

"I had just come out of a two-year relationship and I discovered in that relationship that there was more I wanted to explore… sexually. Crystal meth takes away your inhibitions, you have no limits."

Pintauro came out in 1997 when a tabloid reporter called him back then saying the paper was going to out him whether he cooperated or not.

Judith Light, his former "Who's the Boss?" co-star, urged Pintauro to take the lead in breaking the story as a way of controlling the message. "It was the best thing," Pintauro says now. "'They can't misquote you,' she said. 'And as long as you give really responsible and mature answers, it can't be a bad article.'"

In an interview on Monday, Light told Good Day New York, 'I am so proud of him. He's talking about being HIV positive. He is being incredibly proactive. He now has a wonderful husband named Wil.

'He's giving a different face to what is still a disease that has not been handled.'