EXTREMELY SCARED FROM POSSIBLE EXPOSURE VIA ORAL SEX.

[XtremelyScared84]

Hi Doctor,

I'd like to thank you, in advance, for helping people who like myself suffer from daily anxiety/fear of HIV and other STDs.  Directly to my experience/exposure:  I was recently involved with a male who has apparently been with multiple partners (60+ women, according to him).  He has claimed that he is HIV- and he's only used protection for anal/vaginal sex but not for oral sex.  Unfortunately and due to some stupidity on my part I performed oral sex on him many times (I would say 8 times since I don't recall each event when this happened).  All of the times that I performed oral sex on him I stupidly allowed him to ejaculate in my mouth but I would spit it out shortly after.  We  no longer see each other but now I haven't been able to live my life due to extreme anxiety that I may have contracted HIV (although he claims to be negative and his mom happens to be in the medical field).  I do recall, however, that one time I had a dry herpes sore on my lip and I performed this act on him not thinking that it could have been a route for HIV in the event that he has lied and happens to be positive.  My last exposure was Jan 18th and my first exposure was Jan 4th.  My questions are the following:

1) Did I contract HIV in the event that he is indeed positive.
2) Can I get tested now even if I didn't hit the 3 month mark yet
3) I keep reading in different websites that ejaculation in the mouth w/ a HIV+ person is a high risk activity but this website contradicts that.  What is the real risk involving this sexual act?
4)  I am currently experiencing flu-like symptoms, could these be related to this disease.

Thanks doctor.  I hope you can help me and understand my situation.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Nope, no change.  Still virtually no risk.  EWH

[XtremelyScared84]

Thanx doc!!!! Would your answer be different if i had told you that this man was uncurcimsized? Last question

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum. I think that questions about HIV risk related to performance or receipt of oral sex are among the most common questions we see.  I am sure that following reading my comments below, if your wish to verify what has been said you can find many more such discussions by just looking at other recent posts.

Bottom line, this was essentially a no risk exposure.  For starters, your partner, even with over 60 partners, he is statistically unlikely to have HIV.  In addition, the quoted figure for HIV risk, if one has oral sex with an infected partner is less than 1 in 10,000 and, in my estimation that is too high. Some experts state there is no risk at all from oral sex.  Neither of us on this site have ever seen or reading the medical literature of a convincing instance in which HIV was passed by oral sex.

So, in answer to your specific questions:
1.  No,
2.  Yes,  At test at one month following exposure would detect over 90% of infections which occurred a month earlier.  At 8 weeks the test would detect virtually all infections.  Recommendations that you should wait for 12 weeks before getting tested are overly conservative.
3.  See above. Ejaculation does not change this.
4.  No, it is almost certainly not the ARS.  Far more likely to be a community acquired, non-STD/ non-HIV virus.

Hope this is helpful to you.  Try not to worry.  Take care.  EWH