Semen in Cut, Now Swollen Gland

[Worried7134]

I've recently had some new concerns about a past exposure. I am a woman, and almost three months ago I engaged in sexual contact with a man of unknown HIV status. I do know that he has been with a lot of women. The contact I had was: 1. Licking the shaft of his penis (probably got precum in mouth); 2. Performing manual sex on him with a small cut on my hand that I'm positive came into contact with semen. What I am most concerned about is the cut on my hand. I can't remember now if I had gotten it that day or the day before, but it was a paper cut. I remembered I had it when the day after this exposure, I got salt in it while cooking and it stung. So I assume it was still somewhat open.  I've been told that this doesn't pose a risk, but I did not elaborate on the state of the cut before. I've also read on another reputable website that semen in paper cuts does pose a risk.

Three weeks after the exposure I started having pain/pressure in my ears. Around then I first noticed an enlarged submandibular gland in my neck on one side - and it is still there to this day. It is definitely bigger than a centimeter, at first was hard & immobile, but now it is not as fixed. (It seems to change in size.)  I am having a lot of pain in my ear (& some in my jaw) on that side. Some pain in the other ear too.

For the 3 months following the exposure I've had some mild symptoms off-and-on, like a sore throat that lasts for a day. I am very concerned about this submandibular gland, because I read on the same reputable website I mention above that a swollen submandibular gland is often seen in acute HIV infection. I don't believe this swollen gland is due to an regular infection because I had a course of antibiotics and it did not go down.

I am seeing a doctors later today actually about the gland, but it is my family doctor and I am terrified he will do blood work, I'll get a positive HIV result, and my parents will know. Any insight you can offer would be greatly, greatly, appreciated.

[nursegirl6572]

If I had to guess...I would guess that you probably spend a lot of time poking, prodding and manipulating your "gland".  That itself can cause swelling, and increased swelling.

All I can tell you is you don't have HIV and most everything you describe sounds anxiety related.  We see that all the time.

[RainLover71]

HIV transmission always occurs inside the body not outside it like you have suggested.No Risk.

[Worried7134]

I want you to know that I do go to counseling and have discussed this there.

I don't want to be removed from a forum where I am no longer welcome or anything, but I would be eternally grateful if you, as a nurse, could just address one more thing for me.

I made the horrible mistake of doing an internet search for submandibular swelling and HIV. I know that it can also be attributed to bacterial infections but I have finished a course of antibiotics and it has not gone away. Could it be due to a viral infection? Could it be due to something simple like breathing through my mouth at night? Or perhaps do some people just always have this and I just never noticed it before? It just seems so coincidental that I would get this after a sexual encounter.

I've been racking my brain trying to think if there's any other way the disease could have been transmitted (like a potential exchange of blood via kissing or something), because I am concerned about this submandibular gland.

It really put my mind at ease about the semen-to-cut contact the way you explained it so thoroughly, and I'm just hoping to ease my mind about this as well. Thank you.

[Worried7134]

Thank you very much for your response, I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

[nursegirl6572]

Please go back and reread the answers you got back in October.  You never had an HIV risk.

Getting semen in a cut is not a risk, for a bunch of reasons.....  The MAIN one is that HIV cannot remain active outside of it's host (body), therefore it loses the ability to infect once it has been exposed to the elements (pH, temperature, other factors).  

Secondly, the skin is comprised of many protective layers.  Unless you had a cut that required medical attention and stitches, it wouldn't be significant enough to allow the virus access to the bloodstream (which HAS to occur for transmission to take place).  

Lastly, in order for transmission to occur, there needs to be exposure to a copious amount of infectious fluids.  That also wouldn't be the case in your situation.

I strongly advise you to seek professional help.  It's just simply not normal, and very indicative of high levels of anxiety, to still be concerned about something you've been advised multiple times is NOT a risk.

If you think it would help you move on once and for all, have an HIV test done.  If you haven't had any REAL exposures (unprotected vaginal or anal sex, or sharing of IV druygs), it will be negative.  To be clear, you do NOT in any way NEED an HIV test...you had NO risk whatsoever...not even a low one...ZERO....the suggestion to take a test would be SOLELY to help you finally accept you do not have an HIV concern.

There's nothing else this forum can do for you.

[Worried7134]

I'm really freaking out here, after reading about submandibular swelling, so please, any insight would be very much appreciated.