Fellatio risk to immunosuppressed?

[orientatedx3]

Thanks in advance to anyone who attempts to answer this convoluted question!

I've read differing opinions and statistics on the risk of contracting HIV and Hep to the giver of fellatio. Some studies say that there is a miniscule risk, and the expert M.D. on this site reports there is basically no risk.  I would really appreciate links to information that supports that as my situation is somewhat more complex (and so really, those links might not even pertain to me, but I still wish to review the clinical findings/sample sizes/confounds, etc.).

I have organ involved lupus and have been recently unsuccessfully treated with the IV monoclonal antibody med Rituxan which depletes properties of B-cell production for up to 1 year. Both the lupus and the medication get me (correctly) labeled as immuno-suppressed or deficient status, even though my white cell counts are close to normal, etc. blah blah blah. As part of my lupus sequelae I have chronically low platelets, which at times cause ideopathic bruising and (possibly relevant to my question) mild gum bleeding. I have not been on prednisone for several years, and my main medication is IVIG which does not cause additional immune suppression.

Do those factors increase my risk of catching HIV or Hep from giving unprotected oral sex to a man? To a woman? The men that I've been with sexually have generally classified themselves as resolutely heterosexual, but that doesn't mean that from time to time when a strap-on is used (by me) that they aren't all too happy with the event. I'm not quite naive enough to think that I'm the ONLY form of anal they've ever had ;-)

So...immune suppressed bi-sexual woman giving head to a possibly bisexual male...or female. Am I at a *real* increased risk or is such a thing negligible? Also, what on earth is the deal with swallowing/spitting?? Does NOT swallowing actually decrease risk or is that an old wive's tale told by people semen phobic ninnies?

Thanks again, and peace and prayers to all of those who are eagerly and nervously awaiting test times/results.

[orientatedx3]

Searched through the archives at Aidsmed, thanks for the link. It seems most of the people there that have HIV/SLE are um...dead!  Several men reported contracting it from their girlfriends and wives who got it via blood products/transfusions and later died. How glad am I that I didn't have ITP and need those things until the 90s?? (Very)

Meanwhile, the posts and links they provided said that those with lupus can actually have false negative tests bc our immune system doesn't produce the antibodies in the same span of time as is average and likely takes 3 to 6 months to get a clear reading. Very very interesting. I would have honestly thought that infection would be apparent almost immediately (several weeks) both via blood tests and also because any type of viral infection or exposure generally causes a major lupus flare.

Anyway, thanks for the links and the info.

[orientatedx3]

I can't even imagine how complicated their care is - balancing between kidney/liver function and antivirals. Yikes.  I'm going to wrap all potential lovers in cellophane as I don't think I could keep my sanity or my job if I had to spend more than 8 hours a week on IV.

;-)

[Teak]

Lupus and HIV can and does coexist. We have people on Aidsmeds that have both Lupus and HIV.

[orientatedx3]

Thanks Teak. My white cell count is pretty much *always* fine though and I've gotten some pretty hairy infections (meningitis, etc.). Some lupus anti-bodies can cause a false Syphilis tests, especially the anticardios.  I haven't heard of any issues with Hep testing - except that we are more susceptible to catch it, especially when living on plasma based meds. I also never heard the false neg for HIV and in fact read a paper a while back that spoke of the probability that lupus and HIV couldn't co-exist simply because in systemic lupus the body overactively creates antibodies...

In any case, I would love links to the false pos in HIV testing stuff. Do you know if they are basing that on ANA or IgG levels?

Thanks again!

[Teak]

If your white count is within the normal range the answer is no. You do know that if you take an HIV test that Lupus is known to cause false positives. I don't know if it is the same for hepatitis testing.