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Positive monospot test and HIV
Hello-
I am in my late 30's and have been extremely monogamous for the past 10-15 years. I have had no sexual contact for the past 2.5 years until very recently. I started dating a girl and have had protected sex numerous times over the past month along with unprotected oral sex. However, I had a few small canker sores in my mouth (a regular stress reaction since I was a child).
Recently, I became lethargic and one tonsil became swollen. When I looked at it, it had small white spots. I went to a walkin clinic and the very old doctor ran tests for strep and mono. I am assuming it was the monospot test, since results were quick and positive for mono. I went to a more regular doctor, who took blood for a more rigorous mono test and I am waiting for the result. In the meantime, te swollen tonsil has gone down and my throat is not sore but I can barely get out of bed.
My question is how likely could the positive monospot test be a false positive for ARS? My more regular doctor is very skeptical about mono. I add to that that I have the feeling the girl I have been seeing has a more extensive sexual history than I and suffers from myasthenia gravis, which may or may not be associated with HIV.
I know that I may be freaking myself out, but am worried that my one time being a bit cavalier could turn out to be very bad indeed.
Thank you
I am in my late 30's and have been extremely monogamous for the past 10-15 years. I have had no sexual contact for the past 2.5 years until very recently. I started dating a girl and have had protected sex numerous times over the past month along with unprotected oral sex. However, I had a few small canker sores in my mouth (a regular stress reaction since I was a child).
Recently, I became lethargic and one tonsil became swollen. When I looked at it, it had small white spots. I went to a walkin clinic and the very old doctor ran tests for strep and mono. I am assuming it was the monospot test, since results were quick and positive for mono. I went to a more regular doctor, who took blood for a more rigorous mono test and I am waiting for the result. In the meantime, te swollen tonsil has gone down and my throat is not sore but I can barely get out of bed.
My question is how likely could the positive monospot test be a false positive for ARS? My more regular doctor is very skeptical about mono. I add to that that I have the feeling the girl I have been seeing has a more extensive sexual history than I and suffers from myasthenia gravis, which may or may not be associated with HIV.
I know that I may be freaking myself out, but am worried that my one time being a bit cavalier could turn out to be very bad indeed.
Thank you
COMMUNITY LEADER
You have already been told that there is no risk associated with oral sex and you must know that saliva contains sugar proteins that inhibits the virus and even if you had consumed infectious semen of an individual who is HIV pos. you would have not been infected at the first place because your own body was working as a defense mechanism to the viirus, garstric acid in your stomach inhibits the virus.
I don't see a risk associated for you to freak out, you are fine. Please move on. HIV is not the reason of your discomforts.
I don't see a risk associated for you to freak out, you are fine. Please move on. HIV is not the reason of your discomforts.
This and I just found out the second mono test is negative, so something to explain a false positive monospot and my symptoms right after ver rare sexual contact.... Well back to nervous now....
Thanks. That's data I can understand check the veracity of rather than a simple statement that this doesn't spread that. I truly appreciate your time.
No incident HIV infections among MSM who practice exclusively oral sex.
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WePpC2072)??Balls JE, Evans JL, Dilley J, Osmond D, Shiboski S, Shiboski C, Klausner J, McFarland W, Greenspan D, Page-Shafer K?University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Oral transmission of HIV, reality or fiction? An update
J Campo1, MA Perea1, J del Romero2, J Cano1, V Hernando2, A Bascones1
Oral Diseases (2006) 12, 219–228
AIDS: Volume 16(17) 22 November 2002 pp 2350-2352
Risk of HIV infection attributable to oral sex among men who have sex with men and in the population of men who have sex with men
Page-Shafer, Kimberlya,b; Shiboski, Caroline Hb; Osmond, Dennis Hc; Dilley, Jamesd; McFarland, Willie; Shiboski, Steve Cc; Klausner, Jeffrey De; Balls, Joycea; Greenspan, Deborahb; Greenspan
Page-Shafer K, Veugelers PJ, Moss AR, Strathdee S, Kaldor JM, van Griensven GJ. Sexual risk behavior and risk factors for HIV-1 seroconversion in homosexual men participating in the Tricontinental Seroconverter Study, 1982-1994 [published erratum appears in Am J Epidemiol 1997 15 Dec; 146(12):1076]. Am J Epidemiol 1997, 146:531-542.
Studies which show the fallacy of relying on anecdotal evidence as opposed to carefully controlled study insofar as HIV transmission risk is concerned:
Jenicek M. "Clinical Case Reporting" in Evidence-Based Medicine. Oxford: Butterworth–Heinemann; 1999:117
Saltzman SP, Stoddard AM, McCusker J, Moon MW, Mayer KH. Reliability of self-reported sexual behavior risk factors for HIV infection in homosexual men. Public Health Rep. 1987 102(6):692–697.Nov–Dec;
Catania JA, Gibson DR, Chitwood DD, Coates TJ. Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior. Psychol Bull. 1990 Nov;108(3):339–362.
There is no debate (among experts) about the HIV risks associated with oral sex. The risk is so low that almost nobody who cares for HIV infected patients has ever had a patient believed to have been infected that way. Among experts, it's a semantic issue about using terms like "no risk" and "very low risk". There is no difference between my or Dr. Hook's use of "low risk" and other experts' "no risk".
DR. HANSFIELD
"And oral sex is basically safe sex -- completely safe with respect to HIV and although not zero risk for other STDs, the chance of infection is far lower than for unprotected vaginal or anal sex. Please educate yourself about the real risks. If you stick with oral sex and condom-protected vaginal or anal sex, you have no HIV worries and very little worry about other STDs. " DR HANSFIELD
"I am sure you can find lots of people who belive that HIV is transmitted by oral sex, but you will not find scientific data to support this unrealistic concern..." DR HOOK
"HIV is not spread by touching, masturbation, oral sex or condom protected sex."- DR. HOOK
in the public HIV Prevention forum of MedHelp, TEAK and the other moderators maintain that oral sex in all forms is a zero risk activity. Would you agree with this assessment?
I TOTALLY AGREE / DR GARCIA
"The observation on thousand and thousand of observations is that HIV is not spread by oral sex (of any sort)." DR HOOK
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WePpC2072)??Balls JE, Evans JL, Dilley J, Osmond D, Shiboski S, Shiboski C, Klausner J, McFarland W, Greenspan D, Page-Shafer K?University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Oral transmission of HIV, reality or fiction? An update
J Campo1, MA Perea1, J del Romero2, J Cano1, V Hernando2, A Bascones1
Oral Diseases (2006) 12, 219–228
AIDS: Volume 16(17) 22 November 2002 pp 2350-2352
Risk of HIV infection attributable to oral sex among men who have sex with men and in the population of men who have sex with men
Page-Shafer, Kimberlya,b; Shiboski, Caroline Hb; Osmond, Dennis Hc; Dilley, Jamesd; McFarland, Willie; Shiboski, Steve Cc; Klausner, Jeffrey De; Balls, Joycea; Greenspan, Deborahb; Greenspan
Page-Shafer K, Veugelers PJ, Moss AR, Strathdee S, Kaldor JM, van Griensven GJ. Sexual risk behavior and risk factors for HIV-1 seroconversion in homosexual men participating in the Tricontinental Seroconverter Study, 1982-1994 [published erratum appears in Am J Epidemiol 1997 15 Dec; 146(12):1076]. Am J Epidemiol 1997, 146:531-542.
Studies which show the fallacy of relying on anecdotal evidence as opposed to carefully controlled study insofar as HIV transmission risk is concerned:
Jenicek M. "Clinical Case Reporting" in Evidence-Based Medicine. Oxford: Butterworth–Heinemann; 1999:117
Saltzman SP, Stoddard AM, McCusker J, Moon MW, Mayer KH. Reliability of self-reported sexual behavior risk factors for HIV infection in homosexual men. Public Health Rep. 1987 102(6):692–697.Nov–Dec;
Catania JA, Gibson DR, Chitwood DD, Coates TJ. Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior. Psychol Bull. 1990 Nov;108(3):339–362.
There is no debate (among experts) about the HIV risks associated with oral sex. The risk is so low that almost nobody who cares for HIV infected patients has ever had a patient believed to have been infected that way. Among experts, it's a semantic issue about using terms like "no risk" and "very low risk". There is no difference between my or Dr. Hook's use of "low risk" and other experts' "no risk".
DR. HANSFIELD
"And oral sex is basically safe sex -- completely safe with respect to HIV and although not zero risk for other STDs, the chance of infection is far lower than for unprotected vaginal or anal sex. Please educate yourself about the real risks. If you stick with oral sex and condom-protected vaginal or anal sex, you have no HIV worries and very little worry about other STDs. " DR HANSFIELD
"I am sure you can find lots of people who belive that HIV is transmitted by oral sex, but you will not find scientific data to support this unrealistic concern..." DR HOOK
"HIV is not spread by touching, masturbation, oral sex or condom protected sex."- DR. HOOK
in the public HIV Prevention forum of MedHelp, TEAK and the other moderators maintain that oral sex in all forms is a zero risk activity. Would you agree with this assessment?
I TOTALLY AGREE / DR GARCIA
"The observation on thousand and thousand of observations is that HIV is not spread by oral sex (of any sort)." DR HOOK
I know that that has become mantra, but there are medical experts who feel otherwise, especially when open sores are involved.... So, I wasn't goingto stop at oral sex doesn't spread ____. I do see your point that risk is very low, however.
http://aids.about.com/cs/safesex/a/oralsex.htm
http://aids.about.com/cs/safesex/a/oralsex.htm
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