What is my HIV risk from kissing if I have chronic GERD?

[JonBJay2323]

Hey doc, I posted a similar question to this in the HIV international forum but I've had no answer, so I paid again for this forum to see if I can get a quicker response. Anyway, my exposure is as follows. I am a hispanic male in the US who met up with an African American male transsexual/cross-dresser. He performed oral sex on me with a condom. However, he also sucked on my testicles which of course were unprotected because the condom does not extend that far. Also he licked the area between my scrotum and anus but not my anus. Sorry for the graphic nature of this post Doc but I feel like I need to give you every detail. Now, I guess there was no risk for this since it was protected, but I did kiss this person as well. The kissing part is what concerns me the most since I suffer from chronic GERD. I do take omeprazole for it but I still get light reflux and acidity daily. Anyway, the kissing lasted less than 1 min with some tongue. I don't know if the person had any cuts in his mouth. Also I don't know if I have any cuts in my mouth either (I can't feel any at least). So yea, my concern is that I might have been exposed to the virus given my chronic GERD condition and me possibly having a raw esophagus from the acid and erosion. I know the odds are in my favor since it is stated that kissing is no risk for hiv transmission and that acid reflux is a common condition in 20% of Americans(so there should have been a confirmed case by now?), but I need to reassurance from you doc. Was I at risk for hiv? Based on you medical evaluation, should I get tested? I really don't want to if I don't have to. Thanks! Also, I asked the person about their std status and they claimed to be completely clean. But people lie or don't know their status right?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I suspect you have a run of the mill, non-STD viral sore throat.  I would not worry that this is related to the exposure you described.  EWH

[JonBJay2323]

Hey doc I hate to follow up but I have further concerns that I might have caught something else beside hiv. Anyway, around the 8th or 9th day after my exposure I began feeling pressure on the right lower side of my neck just above my clavicle and throughout the following days including today, 24 days after exposure I still feel pressure on my right side and left side of my lower neck. Whenever I swallow I feel pressure and pain and randomly throughout the day I get sharp pains (jabbing pains) is those 2 regions beside my throat which I'm sure are inflamed. Now, when I touch these areas they are not tender like the nodes under my jaw when I get a cold. Also, I seem to be having a similar problem with my right pelvic side where I get sharp pain where I can feel a larger than usual node, but nothing on my left side.

Anyway, I don't think I've had a cold in the past 24 days. I've had no sore throat,coughing of sneezing or fever, or any symptoms that might indicate a cold. Unless my throat problem I just described could be a cold?

So I know hiv is out of the question, but do you think I could have caught some other sort of virus? I've had no cold sores or genital break outs so I guess it's not herpes, but I just want to make sure there isn't another std I could have contracted like mono or something of that nature.

So doc, what do you think?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thanks for the follow-up. Further evidence that you did not get HIV from your no risk exposue.  EWH

[JonBJay2323]

Hey Doc the anxiety was killing me, and even though I had zero risk and you recommended no testing I went ahead and did something really risky that could have increased my anxiety even more if I got a false positive. I tested at 11 days (CDC says 9-11 days) after exposure and got a qualitative HIV RNA PCR test which was negative of course. Anyway, thought I'd post this for anyone that might find it helpful.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I'm glad my comment was helpful. Take care. EWH

[JonBJay2323]

Thanks for your response Doc. I do suffer from anxiety and reassurance from a Doc makes me feel so much better. I've been off the lexapro for a while and it's made me more paranoid than ever. I guess it's time to get back on it. Anyway, this exposure I mentioned is  different from the one I posted approximately 20 days or so ago. However, this particular exposure that you have responded to just now I have posted around 3 times in the past 24 hrs. Twice in the expert forum, this one, and the international one as well as the community forum. Just wanted to clear that up in case there was any confusion. But I do apologize for over posting. Anyway, thanks again for your response doc. You've made me feel at ease. This was my only exposure since my last test which came out negative, so I will abide my your recommendation and will not test since there is no need.

Doc, this is a great service you're doing here. Thanks!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  Is this the same exposure that you have been posted on for that past month?  If so, it has been answered exhaustively and I agree with the responses you have already received.   I will address your question but much of what I am about to say have already been covered in your past threads on the HIV Prevention Community site.

Nothing that you describe is associated with any risk for HIV, IF your partner had HIV which is unlikely  (BTW, did  you ask him - you should.  Most people do tell the truth).  Neither condom protected receipt of oral sex, nor kissing ANY part of the body (licking is included in the comments about kissing) represents any known risk for HIV.  There are no such reported cases and even organizations as conservative as the CDC have stated repeatedly that there is no risk for HIV form kissing and infected person- and this statement is for kissing of any sort.  As you know from reading the link provided earlier to one of Dr. Handsfield’ s earlier reply, there are no studies specifically of how use of omeprazole and related medications might influence risk HOWEVER, reflux and omeprazole use is extraordinarily common and had it been associated, it would have been reported.

My advice is to consider this a no risk exposure.   I would not even recommend testing related to the exposures that you describe.  I hope you find my (repetitive with prior comments from others) comments helpful.  You need to stop worrying about this. EWH