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HIV Prevention (Expert Forum)
Confused and has questions
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum is limited to prevention of HIV and to safe sex in general. If you believe you might have been exposed to HIV and want help to judge your risk, would like advice about HIV testing, or have questions about the effectiveness of condoms or the risks associated with specific sexual practices, this is the site for you.
IMPORTANT
No questions will be accepted on the treatment of HIV/AIDS or its complications, viral load, and similar topics. If you have questions about a specific STD other than HIV/AIDS, please visit the STD Forum. Questions that do not pertain to the above topics will be removed from the forum.
If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies. Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE. YOUR PAYMENT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, condom- protected intercourse hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids as well as symptoms of early HIV infection.
No questions will be accepted on the treatment of HIV/AIDS or its complications, viral load, and similar topics. If you have questions about a specific STD other than HIV/AIDS, please visit the STD Forum. Questions that do not pertain to the above topics will be removed from the forum.
If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies. Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE. YOUR PAYMENT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, condom- protected intercourse hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids as well as symptoms of early HIV infection.
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Confused and has questions
by collegeboy18, Nov 15, 2006 12:00AM
Hi Doc,
I have a question to ask you regarding both a specific situation and some general questions. I am a mid 20s male. I couldn't find an answer to a question that was similiar to my own specific scenario and I am very worried. I'm also curious about my general questions.
Specific:
I had my first sexual encounter with another male. It consisted mainly of mutual masturbation. There were times when he was touching my penis after he was touching his own penis and he had his fluids (semen and pre-semen) on his hand. Therefore, my actual penis shaft, my penis head, and my penis opening (hole at the tip) came in contact with his fluids as he touched these areas. Additionally, after he started to masturbate me, I took over and continued masturbating myself. Therefore, I likely came in contact with his semen/pre-semen as I was masturbating my own penis. I also have a few minor cuts on on my hand (nothing oozing with blood, but one tiny dry cut on my hand). To top if off, the fingers that I was using to masturbate myself (that likely came into contact with his semen as I touched my penis) I put in my mouth at one point. I never actually touched his penis, I only touched his fluids by touching my own penis after he did.
My questions are as follows:
1. Given the fact that his semen/pre-semen came in contact with my penis opening (the hole at the tip), penis head, and actual penis, plus me later touching his semen/pre-semen with the small yet dry cuts on my hand by touching my own penis, and then putting of one of my fingers in my mouth am I at risk for HIV?
2. Has anyone getting HIV from this sort of expose?
3. Do I need an HIV test?
General:
4. Are condoms really effective for anal sex? If they are, why is there such a high HIV/AIDS rate among gay men?
5. Is receiving oral sex safe?
6. Does semen on an open cuticle cut pose a risk for any STD?
I have a question to ask you regarding both a specific situation and some general questions. I am a mid 20s male. I couldn't find an answer to a question that was similiar to my own specific scenario and I am very worried. I'm also curious about my general questions.
Specific:
I had my first sexual encounter with another male. It consisted mainly of mutual masturbation. There were times when he was touching my penis after he was touching his own penis and he had his fluids (semen and pre-semen) on his hand. Therefore, my actual penis shaft, my penis head, and my penis opening (hole at the tip) came in contact with his fluids as he touched these areas. Additionally, after he started to masturbate me, I took over and continued masturbating myself. Therefore, I likely came in contact with his semen/pre-semen as I was masturbating my own penis. I also have a few minor cuts on on my hand (nothing oozing with blood, but one tiny dry cut on my hand). To top if off, the fingers that I was using to masturbate myself (that likely came into contact with his semen as I touched my penis) I put in my mouth at one point. I never actually touched his penis, I only touched his fluids by touching my own penis after he did.
My questions are as follows:
1. Given the fact that his semen/pre-semen came in contact with my penis opening (the hole at the tip), penis head, and actual penis, plus me later touching his semen/pre-semen with the small yet dry cuts on my hand by touching my own penis, and then putting of one of my fingers in my mouth am I at risk for HIV?
2. Has anyone getting HIV from this sort of expose?
3. Do I need an HIV test?
General:
4. Are condoms really effective for anal sex? If they are, why is there such a high HIV/AIDS rate among gay men?
5. Is receiving oral sex safe?
6. Does semen on an open cuticle cut pose a risk for any STD?
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Nov 16, 2006 12:00AM
, Nov 16, 2006 12:00AM
Mutual masturbation is not a risk for HIV, ever, period. The details of what you did, what fluids were involved, etc make no difference, as far as is known.
1) There might be some theoretical small risk. No direct data are available, but if there is any risk at all, it is too small to measure.
2) Nope. No case of HIV has ever been known (or even suspected) to have been acquired that way.
3) If this is your only possible exposure to HIV, you do not need testing. But all sexually active gay/bi men should be tested from time to time, at least once a year. If you are sexually active and haven't been tested recently, this might be a good time, since it's on your mind. But not because of this particular encounter.
4) Yes, properly used condoms are 100% effective. The HIV rates are high only in gay men who do not (or at one time did not) use condoms consistently.
5) Oral sex is much less efficient for HIV transmission than anal sex. There have been few if any proved cases of anyone acquiring HIV by receiving a BJ. Search the forum for "HIV transmission risk", "oral sex", and "fellatio" for hundreds of discussions on this topic.
6) Same answer as no. 1: If there is some miniscule theoretical risk, it is too small to worry about.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
1) There might be some theoretical small risk. No direct data are available, but if there is any risk at all, it is too small to measure.
2) Nope. No case of HIV has ever been known (or even suspected) to have been acquired that way.
3) If this is your only possible exposure to HIV, you do not need testing. But all sexually active gay/bi men should be tested from time to time, at least once a year. If you are sexually active and haven't been tested recently, this might be a good time, since it's on your mind. But not because of this particular encounter.
4) Yes, properly used condoms are 100% effective. The HIV rates are high only in gay men who do not (or at one time did not) use condoms consistently.
5) Oral sex is much less efficient for HIV transmission than anal sex. There have been few if any proved cases of anyone acquiring HIV by receiving a BJ. Search the forum for "HIV transmission risk", "oral sex", and "fellatio" for hundreds of discussions on this topic.
6) Same answer as no. 1: If there is some miniscule theoretical risk, it is too small to worry about.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
thanks.
You're splitting hairs. He won't answer. The risk is so small, it hasn't been clinically studied, so he's not gonna give you a DEFINITIVE 'one in a million' number. The chances you'll be hit by lightning, die in a vehicle car crash or in a plane crash are all MUCH greater. Relax..you had super safe sex. If you can't stop worrying, then get tested just once at between 6-8 weeks, which will be 99% accurate whether you are HIV positive or not. You don't need testing, but to calm your anxiety, you do. But I'll bet more money (all my fortune) the world comes to an end in the next ten years from now rather than you having HIV from the incident you describe.
-WorriedUS
Hi... I am very worried here.. I have had protected sexual intercourse with a sex-worker in india. I had sucked on her nipples as well. I have had PCR viral load test done after 1 month and it was undetectable (<53) and i had done my Elisa and wester blot test after 3 months and it came out negative (0.33) It was written that less than <1 is negative. There were no bands on WB. I had one more PCR Viral Load test after 3 months(<53) the same result Not detectable. I had one Elisa and WB again after 6 months( it came 0.39) again negative and no viral bands were present. I had one 2 days back and the value in it increased (0.7) though still less than 1 and negative. But in the western blot the P55 was positive other ones like P17 and P24 all were negative only P55 showed a positive.I am really panicked... Can any other viral infection give this positive Band.? Or am I seroconverting slowly and i it will be eventuallyly that all other viral bands will also show positive.? I have read some where that P55 will be split into the other protiens by HIV.. is it true.. i am dying here.. I am the only son of my parents and i love them.... I have given PCR DNA test today and awaiting results...suggest me...!
But because you're obviously frightened, the quick response is that P55-only indeterminate results always resolve as negative. You don't have HIV.
No follow-up comments/discussion in this thread, please.
HHH, MD
Here's a good way to think about theoretical risk: In theory, it is possible that while walking down the street, a meteor will fall on your head and kill you instantly. This is because meteors do occasionally fall to earth. People live their lives above ground, so there is a theoretical risk of being hit be a meteor. In fact, there have been reports of a few people being hit by meteors. But because the risk is so small, given that few meteors fall to earth and the large number of inhabitants of this planet, the risk is purely theoretical.