All the symptoms.

[confused516]

Dr. H

I have read your site and many others and i guess I just need to hear it from you first hand because No question matches mine excatly.  About nine years ago( yes i know nine) I recieved unprotected oral from a stripper at a party.  I got pretty freaked about it the next day and called my doctor and looked on the internet to see if this was a risk even though I did not think it was.  Everything and everybody said no cases and this was not a risk.  So I forgot about it but two weeks later I came down with what I thought was a bad flu( it was winter and I did not know about ars at the time).  I had a high fever that broke after a day but then remained off and on low for a couple of more, had a sore throat and I think I even had a slight rash just on my stomach kind of like a heat rash.  I still did not think hiv for many years until I read about ars and it brought me back to this ONE time only episode.  I am circumsized if that makes a difference, I am not bisexual or a drug user and have never had an STD.  The oral lasted maybe 5 minutes and I did not notice any blood I also immeditely washed my penis afterwards. My friends all seem to say that this would be the same as deep kissing and if people were able to get infected this way there would definately be cases after 20+ years.
1) I know you say not to look at symptoms but after hearing about mine would you change your mind and think possible ars?
2) In many of your posts you say Zero risk for this exposure would this hold true for my exposure as well?
3) Do you agree with my friends thinking?
4) Given this would be my ONLY possible exposure would it be safe for me to have unprotected sex with my wife( I was not married when this happened but got married years later)

Thanks for your help I was happy to make a donation.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I'm sorry, I disagree.  A whole bunch of questions match yours exactly, with the exception that yours was a long time ago.

I never guarantee the safety of any particular exposure.  All I do is say that certain exposures in general have certain levels of risk.  Receiving oral sex is virtually zero risk.  Your friends are entirely right.  Anyway, there is no chance of having HIV for 20 years and not knowing by now; you would have been sick, probably dead.  If you indeed have had no other risks, your symptoms cannot be due to HIV. Of course you can safely have sex with your wife.

No follow-up questions or comments, please.  While MedHelp appreciates your donation, this was an unnecessary post.

HHH, MD

[who_is_this]

What about your story makes you think Dr. HHH would suddenly reverse his constant advice not to go by symptoms, the advice he gives out every day, almost every hour?  Your question is 99.9% identical to every other oral sex question.  No measurable risk, no need to change your practices with your wife.

You had flu symptoms in the height of the flu season--wonder what it could have been.  I'm sure you're fine.  I'm sure he'll tell you the same thing.

[confused516]

I am sorry doctor but I never said that I thought I had hiv for 20 years I just said that the virus has been around for 20 years with no confirmed cases from recieving oral sex or kissing.  Does this change your original answer to me?

[Worriedalot2]

I am a long time reader but a first time poster.  I am sure the doctor just misread your question, but he knows what he is talking about when it comes down to how hiv is and isnt transmitted.  I am sure he would still say that you were not at risk from this, no testing is needed, and it is perfectly safe to have to have sex with your wife as long as this is the only exposure.  Remember what the good docor says never rely on symptoms there are a thousand other reasons that are much more likely to cause them than hiv.

[confused516]

Thanks. I am hoping thats what the doctor would say as well.  I think I might have read into his answer a little too much.  I just get nervous because he always says fever and I guess I feel shamed that I did something like this(young&dumb) even though it was about 9 years ago.

[confused516]

I know that you have not been able to get back yet and I think I am going to just get tested to make it final.  Is there anyway that I can donate to medhelp without asking a question?  You have helped me believe that I am not infected and when I get my results back I would like to make a donation but I dont want to waste other peoples questions. Sorry i asked a question that you answered before.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Yes, I did misinterpret your question.  But 9 years vs 20 years makes no difference in my response; few people have HIV for 9 years with no symptoms.  Still, apologies for missing that detail.  I tend to zone out as soon as it is obvious that it's yet another question asking for reassurance following an exposure with virtually no risk, of a type I have answered previously.  I tend to start scanning, especially when the question is on the long side.

In any case, I see no reason for you to be tested for HIV.  However, you should see your health care provider about your current symptoms and follow his or her advice.

EVERYONE PLEASE NOTE:  Effective tomorrow (June 9) a new system will be in place.  I'm simply going to stop answering most such questions.  The following paragraph has been added to the page that comes up after clicking "Post a Question":

"If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives and the FAQs for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies.  Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE.  YOUR DONATION WILL NOT BE REFUNDED.  The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids."

I probably will still accept the occasional low-risk question that offers a truly new twist, but there aren't very many like that.  Caveat emptor!

HHH, MD

[confused516]

Thank you for answering this one, but is there still a way that I can donate?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Thank you for the offer.  There is a link "Make a Donation" on the MedHelp homepage (http://www.medhelp.org).

HHH, MD