Oral Sex .. Worried about HIV

[india431]

Hello Doctor

Your guys are indeed doing good work ..

It has been 60 days now ,  I had received unprotected oral sex ( 15 seconds ) from a female in a massage parlour in the morning 11 am.
Oral sex was followed after 45 mins of massage ... I had gone there only for a massage but dont know how i got into unprotected oral sex :(
Since that day till today i am worried about HIV transmission.

Did visit the massage parlour again a week later to enquire about her HIV status but to my surprise the manager mentioned she was moved to a different country ...

My mind has been constantly running and all i do is keep evaluating my risk of transmission.

Please reply me on my doubts mentioned below -

1) As i had gone in the morning - If she would have cuts / bleeding gums caused due to brushing teeth . Do that transmit HIV to me ? I did not see any visible blood after the act but if there is very little blood (  from bleeding gums or open sores in her mouth ) mixed with saliva , can that penetrate through my mucous membrane in me ?

2) I did not notice any visible cut on my penis as the room was dark ... But if there would be one does that put me on a higher risk ?

3) I have since 20 days constant acute pain in the lower abdomen appendix area and unusual cramps in the stomach , diarrhea since 10 days and i have read online that this is one of the symptoms of hiv (lymph nodes near appendix area )....  Is it true ?

I am married and living in fear .. have been keeping away from my partner since that day and i am unable to live , work , breathe :(
I am terrified and a little detailed answer would help me put my mind at rest ...

Awaiting your reply asap pls ,,,

Thank you in advance and keep up the good work Angels ..

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I already explained why you should be tested even though you were not at risk.  Re-read my reply above; I haven't changed my mind.

Saliva kills HIV.

I have no patience with not being tested for fear of the result.  It isn't the test that gives someone HIV -- you have it or you don't, and if you do, you need to know it in order to obtain life-saving health care.  And research shows that when someone fears testing, anxiety declines afterward, even if the result is positive.  Fear of the outcome causes more stress than learning the test result, even if positive.  Suck it up and just do it.

If and when you get tested, feel free to return to post the result.  However, any other comments will be deleted without reply.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Thanks for the thanks; I'm glad to have helped.  However, this is answered in my original reply:  "Despite official advice to wait 3 months after an exposure, in fact virtually all tests are valid after 6-8 weeks."  For more information about it, see the link below:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1891685

[india431]

Hello doctor

Thank you for your reply ...

As advised I got myself tested and it is negative ..

Got my report today (10th week)

Can I consider this antibody test conclusive or should I do one more test post 12 weeks .

Pls advise and thank you once again for all the help and advise ...

God bless

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Already answered in my original reply:  "HIV is rarely if ever transmitted by oral sex -- and oral to penile transmission is particularly rare, if it occurs at all."

That is the view of the two of us who moderate this forum.  There are no approved moderators on the community forum, but the few people who participate regularly are very knowledgeable and their views usually agree with ours.

[india431]

Sorry but just one clarification ...

All the the moderators on the hiv prevention forum say that receiving oral sex is zero risk ( even in case of blood present )and testing is not needed .. true ?

[india431]

Thank you for your speedy reply ...

Yes , i have in all these days read from on a lot of reliable websites including Medhelp that insertive oral sex is very low risk ...

Infact i have read almost all the post here on Medhelp on ORAL SEX and in a similar situation HIV test is not recommended in the community forum ..

Do you feel i should get myself tested as in your reply you have mentioned - " HIV testing is not recommended on account of such exposures.  However, I still recommend you be tested "

Also your response on point no1 but does the virus survive in saliva ... ?

I am falling apart in fear and failing to gain the courage to go and get myself tested ..

Your reply means alot to me ...

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Thanks for your question.

One of the most common themes on this forum (just scan any 10 threads at random) is that HIV is rarely if ever transmitted by oral sex -- and oral to penile transmission is particularly rare, if it occurs at all.  HIV testing is not recommended on account of such exposures.  However, I still recommend you be tested; the negative result will probably be more reassuring than anything I can say.  To your specific questions:

1) This makes no difference.  Oral sores, inflammation, bleeding gums, etc are extremely common, so there must have been billions of oral sex exposures in their presence, yet still no proved HIV transmissions.

2) Same deal.  Superficial nicks and cuts on the penis probably make no measurable difference in risk.

3) These symptoms are not typical for a new HIV infection; they do not change my judgment that you do not have HIV.

Enough time has passed for reliable HIV testing.  Despite official advice to wait 3 months after an exposure, in fact virtually all tests are valid after 6-8 weeks.  So have a test, and feel free to return with a follow-up comment to let me know the result.  But stay relaxed in the meantime; you can definitely expect a negative result.

Best regards--  HHH, MD