Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
STDs (Expert Forum)
3 questions
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum does not cover AIDS/HIV issues. This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Warts, Yeast Infection.
IMPORTANT
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
3 questions
by quazzar, Nov 22, 2005 12:00AM
Thanks in advance for your attention, doc!
1. How likely is HIV transmission from a human bite? I was bitten once, during sex, and I couldn't even tell if the bite had broken the skin or not. I thought it maybe had, just a little. I showed it to a doc who wrinkled her nose and said, "no, not likely for disease transmission," but still, I freaked out, got an HIV test 10 weeks later (negative), and put the matter to rest. Should it stay rested? When I spoke to CDC phone people about this they simply said that bite is possible but unlikely--and that there must be blood present in biter's mouth. And of course, from a freaked-out person's perspective, there could always be that lil' drop of blood from someone's mouth cut...flossing...whatever. But I'm holding on to the 10 week result as though it is almost perfectly conclusive.
2. Do the few people who have HSV-2 orally have frequent recurrences and asymptomatic oral shedding?
3. Simplyconfused posted a day or so ago about her HSV-2 leg infection--which has, of course, gotten me so re-freaked out about having gotten HSV-2 from a woman who rubbed her stockinged leg/thigh against my penis, maybe against the head. She rubbed her leg up and down a bit on my penis, which would perhaps create that "massaged into the body" trait that you mention is often necessary for HSV-2 transmission. You answered once, and confirmed again that there is "ZERO chance you were infected by the exposure you describe." Does Simplyconfused's case prove otherwise? (I hope not.)
I honestly am very sorry if this last question gets under your skin (sorry for the ill-placed pun). I don't want to go against your suggestions/posting rules or bug anybody, but I DO want to be really certain about facts and possibilities. I'd go to med school, but I'd probably learn to much stuff and get really, really freaked....knowing that the stocking-situation was not the source of my infection makes a huge difference in my life--only for me, only for my knowlege of my personal history....Thanks Doc. This is the best site for med-learning, no question.
1. How likely is HIV transmission from a human bite? I was bitten once, during sex, and I couldn't even tell if the bite had broken the skin or not. I thought it maybe had, just a little. I showed it to a doc who wrinkled her nose and said, "no, not likely for disease transmission," but still, I freaked out, got an HIV test 10 weeks later (negative), and put the matter to rest. Should it stay rested? When I spoke to CDC phone people about this they simply said that bite is possible but unlikely--and that there must be blood present in biter's mouth. And of course, from a freaked-out person's perspective, there could always be that lil' drop of blood from someone's mouth cut...flossing...whatever. But I'm holding on to the 10 week result as though it is almost perfectly conclusive.
2. Do the few people who have HSV-2 orally have frequent recurrences and asymptomatic oral shedding?
3. Simplyconfused posted a day or so ago about her HSV-2 leg infection--which has, of course, gotten me so re-freaked out about having gotten HSV-2 from a woman who rubbed her stockinged leg/thigh against my penis, maybe against the head. She rubbed her leg up and down a bit on my penis, which would perhaps create that "massaged into the body" trait that you mention is often necessary for HSV-2 transmission. You answered once, and confirmed again that there is "ZERO chance you were infected by the exposure you describe." Does Simplyconfused's case prove otherwise? (I hope not.)
I honestly am very sorry if this last question gets under your skin (sorry for the ill-placed pun). I don't want to go against your suggestions/posting rules or bug anybody, but I DO want to be really certain about facts and possibilities. I'd go to med school, but I'd probably learn to much stuff and get really, really freaked....knowing that the stocking-situation was not the source of my infection makes a huge difference in my life--only for me, only for my knowlege of my personal history....Thanks Doc. This is the best site for med-learning, no question.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Nov 22, 2005 12:00AM
, Nov 22, 2005 12:00AM
I appreciate your desire to be "certain about facts and possibilities", but there are no certain answers to the questions you ask. There is a theoretical risk of HIV through biting, but it's probably low since most HIV infected persons do not have infectious virus in saliva. To my knowledge, nobody has been documented to have caught HIV from a bite, but I'm not sure.
People with oral HSV-2 generally have few or no symptomatic recurrences and little or no asymptomatic shedding, but there probably are exceptions. It is not known why the infection behaves differently in the mouth than the genitals.
Transmitting HSV probably requires exposure to large amounts of the virus; that the virus be placed on a moist mucous membrane (e.g., inside the mouth, vagina, etc); or that it be massaged into the skin, as occurs during sex. Brushing against an infected person's lesion probably is not sufficient for transmission.
Just choose your partners wisely and use condoms for genital or anal intercourse outside permanent, committed relationships. Those are the only recommendations worth worrying about to prevent HIV or other STDs; after that, don't lose sleep over the risks. They are too low to be worthy anybody's energy and worry.
HHH, MD
People with oral HSV-2 generally have few or no symptomatic recurrences and little or no asymptomatic shedding, but there probably are exceptions. It is not known why the infection behaves differently in the mouth than the genitals.
Transmitting HSV probably requires exposure to large amounts of the virus; that the virus be placed on a moist mucous membrane (e.g., inside the mouth, vagina, etc); or that it be massaged into the skin, as occurs during sex. Brushing against an infected person's lesion probably is not sufficient for transmission.
Just choose your partners wisely and use condoms for genital or anal intercourse outside permanent, committed relationships. Those are the only recommendations worth worrying about to prevent HIV or other STDs; after that, don't lose sleep over the risks. They are too low to be worthy anybody's energy and worry.
HHH, MD
And do you still stick to your earlier response that there is pretty much zero chance I was HSV-2 infected from a leg through stockings? I do, apparently, have the virus....via blood test.
If you have HSV-2, you did not get it by contact with a leg lesion through someone's stocking. You got it by genital intercourse with an infected partner. Period.
HHH, MD
Simplyconfused, believe me, this is my problem, and not yours. Your post/question was helpful and informative--and I wish you the best. I simply have annoying anxiety issues that I can't seem to get over. I've never dealt with issues like this before, and I'm not handling hsv-2 diagnosis well at all. I don't seem to have symptoms, and I worry about infecting others, and..well, to suddenly find out one has something is, as you know, a real kick in the wherever. Clearly, if anyone is to blame for my freaking out it is me....But I thank you and the doc for your concern. Happy holidays!
HHH, MD
HHH, MD
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my comment. I KNOW I am having an emotional reaction and not one based on facts. Your pointed comments are most appreciated and will help me realize that fear and emotions are causing my concerns. Stay well