HIV anxiety

[Stingray1871]

Worried. I have gingivitis. I recently made out with a girl perceived to have hiv. She isn't on meds so her viral load is sky high. I didn't know she was positive until after the fact. The problem is that I experienced ars symptoms 12 days after the exposure. Ie: sore throat, headache, stuffy nose, raised rash on neck and chest, also thigh and leg pains. I can't tell if I had a solid fever. However, I did feel heat flashes or burning sensations in the face and ears.

My issue is I talked to an hiv doctor at ucsf. The doctor told me there was a tremendous risk for infection with gingivitis or bleeding gums. Also wrote: You said you had gingivitis at time of exposure.  People with gingivitis typically have a small amount of chronic gum bleeding which is a potential route of transmission.  What if your partner also had gingivitis too?

I can only find one documented case of hiv being transmitted in this manner. My worry is because my gums bleed when I brush. Now I'm paranoid. Why did this dr tell me there was a significant risk.

Did I experience ars? Do I need to test?

[nursegirl6572]

Again, you'd be wise to seek out a professional for your anxiety.  Your life is in a downward spiral because your anxiety is deterring you from accepting the facts as they are, which is that kissing is not a risk for HIV.

[Stingray1871]

I sure hope your right. I just have a gut feeling though because of all the symptoms being spot on. My life is in a downward spiral.

[remar]

Nursegirl is a real nurse so she knows what she's talking about.
I'm wondering if your symptoms were from anxiety about getting HIV? The mind is such a powerful thing.
Please let us know what your results are,if that's what you decide to do. I'm sure they will come back negative.

[Stingray1871]

I won't write anymore after this. I did experience ars. I had the sore throat, stabbing leg pains and trunk rash. I have never had this combo of symptoms in my life. They all appeared 2 weeks post exposure.

[Stingray1871]

I'm worried I won't have access to treatment

[nursegirl6572]

You need to address this preoccupation with HIV and anxiety with a professional.  

[Stingray1871]

I'm so worried. I feel like I can taste blood in my gums all the time. I'm so convinced I'm going to be the second person in history to get hiv from deep kissing. I've ruined the rest of my life. Worst of all I have lost the one women I truly loved because of a stupid kissing incident.

[Stingray1871]

Just confirming. There is no way you can get hiv from kissing even if I did have open bleeding gums and the girl I kissed had them as we'll.

We are 110% positive hiv cannot transfer in this manner?

[Stingray1871]

I sure hope your right. I pray my test comes out negative. I'm so scared of hearing the possibility of getting positive results. Like I said. I wouldn't be as afraid of the symptoms hadn't appeared thereafter.

[nursegirl6572]

Here's a thread from the doctor's forum, read it, it will hopefully put your mind at ease:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV---Prevention/french-kissing/show/1620518

There are many more threads that discuss your concern.  Search the forum for more answers.

You didn't have a risk and don't need testing, but as I said, you may be inclined to test to help ease your mind and prove to yourself that you didn't get infected.

[nursegirl6572]

You didn't have a risk.  Kissing is not a risk, even with the presence of bleeding gums, ulcers, etc.  As for the "symptoms", TRUE ARS is comprised of very basic common symptoms that can be attributed to countless other things.  One can NEVER gauge a risk or assess their HIV status based on symptoms.

[Stingray1871]

There wasn't any sex involved. No cloths ever came off. There was only deep kissing.

[Stingray1871]

Are you saying to test since you believe there was a risk with deep kissing?

[Stingray1871]

Why we're the symptoms I experienced so similar to those of ars. I have heard that the viral load plays a large part in risk of infection.  Why did the doctor tell me if my gums were bleeding and hers were too then we could have mixed and I may have been infected.

Is there research or information on how well saliva kills the virus. For instance, let's say she did have high viral load and blood in her saliva. Wouldn't that be a risk. I have a part of my gum that bleed regularly. There is even blood on the q-tip when I press on it. Isn't this an open wound entry point. Please help. I hope none of my symptoms had anything to do with HIV. Everything was so similar to ars and it all came at or around 14 and 16 day mark.

[nursegirl6572]

You didn't have a risk.  Unless you had unprotected vaginal or anal sex with this partner, you didn't place yourself at risk for HIV.  I understand it is frightening to find out after the fact that someone you were intimate with is infected, but don't let fear guide you based on that.  You have to look at the FACTS, and the FACTS are, almost ALWAYS, it takes insertive, unprotected intercourse (a penis in the vagina or anus) to lead to transmission (or sharing IV drug works).  And believe it or not, even mosrt unprotected exposures don't typically lead to infection, HIV is THAT difficult to transmit.

Testing is understandable in your situation, just as a way to put your mind at ease.  A DUO test at 4 weeks will be very reassuring.  If you had been infected, the DUO test at 4 weeks would almost definitively be reactive.  Follow that up with a standard antibody test (ELISA) at 3 months post the incident for a conclusive result.

I have no doubt your results will be negative.  Until the conclusive testing, keep yourself busy and definitely don't search the internet, as that will only fuel your anxiety terribly.

If it will be helpful, you can always pay the nominal fee (I believe it is about $22) to post in the expert forum.  The docs there will put your mind at ease.  They have DECADES of experience working with HIV.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/HIV---Prevention/show/117

Good luck.

[caregiver222]

It takes at least six weeks to seroconvert, sometimes eight weeks, so it doesn't pay to get tested before that. Do get tested. That being said HIV is not that easy to get.