Testing for low risk HIV expsosure?

I've had two low-risk potential exposures with partners of unknown HIV status. The first was receiving unprotected fellatio for approximately ten minutes. The second was deep kissing and sucking/biting of the chin, during which I noticed a small amount of blood on my partner's chin. I immediately spit out any blood I came into contact with. Do you thinking testing is warranted or advisable for this level of exposure? Thanks.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  These were not low risk exposures, they were virtually no risk exposures.  It is unlikely that your partners had HIV, unless they were IV drug users.  Further, even if they were, kissing is no risk, even deep kissing and even with gum or dental disease is no risk for HIV acquisition. The quoted figure for HIV risk, if one receives oral sex from 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.  This includes by all of the people who had gum disease, and irrespective of whether you might have gotten a partner's blood in your mouth, etc.

There is no credible medical reason for testing for the exposures you describe.  If you need to test for your own peace of mind, that's another thing.  EWH