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Saliva potentially mixed with blood - New Info?
I would like to better understand the risk of transmission of HIV through saliva that might contain blood. I have reviewed many of your posts and as some of them are older, wanted to be sure if I have the most recent information. I recently received a hand job from a stripper who used saliva for lubrication. The room was dark so I cannot confirm if there was blood in the saliva or not (but there is a small brown spot on my underwear in the right location...from possible blood?). She touched my shaft as well as the urethra. The total time from her mouth to genital contact could not have been more than 10 seconds. So... here are my questions:
Am I at risk for HIV since there could have been blood in the saliva? I know that the virus does not live outside the body for long, but if it was only 10 seconds and there was blood in the saliva, does that change any of your earlier responses about transmission from a hand job? Do I need to be tested? Is it safe to have unprotected sex with my wife? if I should get tested, any thoughts on the RNA test that is used for early detection? Thank you... very worried.
Am I at risk for HIV since there could have been blood in the saliva? I know that the virus does not live outside the body for long, but if it was only 10 seconds and there was blood in the saliva, does that change any of your earlier responses about transmission from a hand job? Do I need to be tested? Is it safe to have unprotected sex with my wife? if I should get tested, any thoughts on the RNA test that is used for early detection? Thank you... very worried.
Thank you. There is no other potential exposure. I appreciate the peace of mind.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I don't think you need a test at all, and not doing it will not increase the risk to your wife. I would advise differently if you'd had unprotected sex with the stripper. But you're not going to be the first case in the world, in the 30 years of the AIDS epidemic, to acquire HIV by hand job. In fact, if somehow you turned up with a positive test, if you were my patient the first discussion we would have would be to explore other potential exposures -- because it for sure wan't your recent strip club adventure.
Thank you. The reason I was thinking about the RNA test is that it is supposed to be conclusive at 11 days, which I will be at on Monday. This would provide for fewer exposures to my wife (Than waiting 4 weeks) if there is a chance I am infected. Based on your response, perhaps I don't need a test at all. I may be allowing anxiety to overpower intellect. I just don't want to take a chance with my wife's health. If you think there is no risk of infection, I will move on without a test.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
I think you are delving into this in far more detail than is necessary. Your online searching appears to be emphasizing the biology of HIV. The important fact, though, is that nobody is known to have ever acquired HIV by hand-genital contact. If you think about it, over the 3+ decades of the known worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic, there must have been billions of hand-job or fingering events between HIV infected and uninfected partners, often with genital secretions (not just saliva) as lubricant, and millions of those must have involved blood contact as well (e.g., during menstruation). And yet no known transmission events.
So I would encourage you to stop worrying about it, and stop researching the biological aspects. Anyway, there are absolutely no data on whether mixing blood with saliva makes the blood less infectious. I would think so, but that's just scientific guesswork, not fact.
Finally, I will add that the large majority of strippers do not have HIV -- so the odds are very strong that she didn't have HIV anyway.
So my advice is to continue normal sexual relations with your wife, without worry. Of course you could be HIV tested if you wish -- but if I were in your situation, I certainly would not do it. But if you do, please don't spend the increased cost on RNA testing. Just have a duo test at 4 weeks.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
I think you are delving into this in far more detail than is necessary. Your online searching appears to be emphasizing the biology of HIV. The important fact, though, is that nobody is known to have ever acquired HIV by hand-genital contact. If you think about it, over the 3+ decades of the known worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic, there must have been billions of hand-job or fingering events between HIV infected and uninfected partners, often with genital secretions (not just saliva) as lubricant, and millions of those must have involved blood contact as well (e.g., during menstruation). And yet no known transmission events.
So I would encourage you to stop worrying about it, and stop researching the biological aspects. Anyway, there are absolutely no data on whether mixing blood with saliva makes the blood less infectious. I would think so, but that's just scientific guesswork, not fact.
Finally, I will add that the large majority of strippers do not have HIV -- so the odds are very strong that she didn't have HIV anyway.
So my advice is to continue normal sexual relations with your wife, without worry. Of course you could be HIV tested if you wish -- but if I were in your situation, I certainly would not do it. But if you do, please don't spend the increased cost on RNA testing. Just have a duo test at 4 weeks.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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