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Risk from kissing a stranger
Hello,
I am a 30 year old straight man living in the UK.
I get tested for hiv (always negative) every year as part of my routine blood tests, although this would not be necessary as I only have sex with my partner (who is negative too).
A couple of days ago, I was at a party and had too much to drink and I had some kissing with a woman (stranger). We kissed a few times and this also involved me sucking her lips and tongue. We didn't have any kind of sexual activity other than kissing.
In the morning I noticed my tongue was sore, as I probably burned it with some hot food before the party.
I know this episode should not carry any risk but I just feel anxious about it anyway.
Does kissing with a slightly burnt tongue carry any risk of hiv transmission in the unlikely event this woman had hiv? Do I need to get tested at all?
Regards
I am a 30 year old straight man living in the UK.
I get tested for hiv (always negative) every year as part of my routine blood tests, although this would not be necessary as I only have sex with my partner (who is negative too).
A couple of days ago, I was at a party and had too much to drink and I had some kissing with a woman (stranger). We kissed a few times and this also involved me sucking her lips and tongue. We didn't have any kind of sexual activity other than kissing.
In the morning I noticed my tongue was sore, as I probably burned it with some hot food before the party.
I know this episode should not carry any risk but I just feel anxious about it anyway.
Does kissing with a slightly burnt tongue carry any risk of hiv transmission in the unlikely event this woman had hiv? Do I need to get tested at all?
Regards
Thank you, Doctor.
Best Regards
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your symptoms are not typical for a new HIV infection; both the timing, sequence, and and nature of the symptoms are wrong. I'm sure they are unrelated to the kiss you are concerned about.
There are no routine blood tests (CBC, standard blood chemistries, etc) that can determine that someone's immune system is suppressed. But even if it were, it would not increase the risk of catching HIV from a kiss. Neither would poor oral hygiene in the person you kissed.
If you continue to have symptoms that concern you, see a doctor or clinic. But please forget HIV and the kiss. Neither has anything to do with your symptoms.
There are no routine blood tests (CBC, standard blood chemistries, etc) that can determine that someone's immune system is suppressed. But even if it were, it would not increase the risk of catching HIV from a kiss. Neither would poor oral hygiene in the person you kissed.
If you continue to have symptoms that concern you, see a doctor or clinic. But please forget HIV and the kiss. Neither has anything to do with your symptoms.
Hello Doctor,
I am following up my last message since I am now experiencing some symptoms that brought my anxiety back.
Firstly, five and half days after the kissing episode, I noticed a rash on my upper back, shoulders and chest. This looked to me just a simple folliculitis as I waxed those areas one week before and this had happened already in the past. My only concern was about my shoulders, where, although I had them waxed too, I have just a few hairs on them, hence I started questioning my rash.
The rash appears like red bumpy spots, pimple-like, slightly tender to touch and a few days later these started to fade away and to get sort of drier (if I scratch them, some little white debris tend to come off).
A few days later, 9 days after the kissing episode, I developed a mild to average sore throat, some chills and mild headache (I still have all of these).
I don't have any fever and I think my lymph nodes are normal, I only feel a little one in my neck (I don't feel any lumps under my ears, armpits and groin).
So here are the questions: although we are talking about a virtually no risk episode, can this symptoms be ars at all? Does this type of rash (appearing 5/6 after the episode) look a typical hiv rash?
I also want to add a couple of details: firstly, according to some blood tests I had in the past, my immune system resulted somehow suppressed, although there was no apparent reason for it (always tested negative for hiv and other std's and standard blood work was all pretty much normal).
Secondly, the woman I had the kissing episode with, although very attractive, I remember she had very bad teeth (dark yellow/greenish - probably a long-term smoker).
Do these last two pieces of information change the level of risk of a potential hiv exposure anyhow?
Many Thanks
I am following up my last message since I am now experiencing some symptoms that brought my anxiety back.
Firstly, five and half days after the kissing episode, I noticed a rash on my upper back, shoulders and chest. This looked to me just a simple folliculitis as I waxed those areas one week before and this had happened already in the past. My only concern was about my shoulders, where, although I had them waxed too, I have just a few hairs on them, hence I started questioning my rash.
The rash appears like red bumpy spots, pimple-like, slightly tender to touch and a few days later these started to fade away and to get sort of drier (if I scratch them, some little white debris tend to come off).
A few days later, 9 days after the kissing episode, I developed a mild to average sore throat, some chills and mild headache (I still have all of these).
I don't have any fever and I think my lymph nodes are normal, I only feel a little one in my neck (I don't feel any lumps under my ears, armpits and groin).
So here are the questions: although we are talking about a virtually no risk episode, can this symptoms be ars at all? Does this type of rash (appearing 5/6 after the episode) look a typical hiv rash?
I also want to add a couple of details: firstly, according to some blood tests I had in the past, my immune system resulted somehow suppressed, although there was no apparent reason for it (always tested negative for hiv and other std's and standard blood work was all pretty much normal).
Secondly, the woman I had the kissing episode with, although very attractive, I remember she had very bad teeth (dark yellow/greenish - probably a long-term smoker).
Do these last two pieces of information change the level of risk of a potential hiv exposure anyhow?
Many Thanks
Thank you, Doctor.
Best regards
Best regards
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
You already know the answer. Your own statement "I know this episode should not carry any risk" is exactly right. Even if your kissing partner had HIV, you are not at risk. The virus is not transmitted by kissing and your burnt tounge would not change this. Among other things, saliva inactivates the virus. Even oral-genital sex carries little or no risk.
So no worries. Don't give this event another thought.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
You already know the answer. Your own statement "I know this episode should not carry any risk" is exactly right. Even if your kissing partner had HIV, you are not at risk. The virus is not transmitted by kissing and your burnt tounge would not change this. Among other things, saliva inactivates the virus. Even oral-genital sex carries little or no risk.
So no worries. Don't give this event another thought.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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