Unprotected insertive oral sex

[JereJo]

I have read on this forum that some say insertive oral sex is no risk, some say very low. I'm a male and had unprotected insertive oral sex with a female sex worker in South Korea 6 weeks ago. About 3 weeks after that occasion I got a severe sore throat that felt like tonsillitis which lasted for 4-5 days until it cleared up and followed by nasal congestion. No fever or rash.

One week after onset of symptoms I went and got tested with a rapid hiv test, with a prick in my finger. That was 4 weeks after oral sex and 1 week after my sore throat (which was already cleared up by then). As I understand the test should become positive if my symptoms were due to ARS, correct? So can I rest assure that my symptoms were not related to hiv? I have also taken another STD-panel test now at 6 weeks which all came back negative except the hiv lab test that will take a few days. I'm a married guy who made this awful mistake that might ruin my life and make me loose everything. The anxiety is killing me, I don't know what to do!

[RainLover71]

Considering you never had a risk that result is conclusive.

[JereJo]

Thanks for the support guys! My second test at 6 weeks (lab test, not rapid) came back negative today. Considering the information provided on this site and counseling with another HIV-specialist doctor I will take this result as conclusive that I didn't get infected.

[LIZZIE LOU]

FROM THE HIV EXPERTS HERE AT MEDHELP:

"As you know from other posts about oral sex, our stance is that giving or receiving oral sex is not a risk for HIV.  Some others suggest that there is an appreciable risk of HIV from oral sex however, there are no convincing scientific reports which support these statements.  The presence of a burn in your mouth, or a sore, or ingestion of blood does not change this.  Still no risk an no reason for testing."  DR HOOK

"As far as HIV is concerned, there is no known risk of getting HIV from performing oral sex on an infected partner, even if that person's genital secretions get into your eyes or if you swallow"  DR HOOK

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. HANDSFIELD

"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 HANDSFIELD

"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

"With regard to the question you ask, I will repeat, as I’ve said more times than I can think- there are NO credible cases in which persons have acquired HIV through performance of oral sex- none!!.  The chance that you will be the first is ridiculously low.  You are more likely to be hit by lightening while reading my reply to you. DR HOOK

"HIV is not spread by masturbation, through oral sex, through kissing or other casual contact." DR HOOK

"There is no credible evidence that HIV is spread through oral sex, with or without the presence of cuts or blood in the persons mouth."- DR HOOK

"Oral sex. there is no evidence that HIV is spread through giving or receiving oral sex"- DR HOOK

"HIV is not spread through oral sex."  DR HOOK

"HIV is not spread through giving or receiving oral sex"   DR HOOK
.

[interestedparty71]

No, it means that you did not have an exposure, and it doesnt matter how much you obsess about ARS symptoms and the effect they have on testing, you wont have contracted HIV via this incident.

[JereJo]

So that means you don't know?

[interestedparty71]

It doesnt matter, because you categorically cannot have contracted HIV via this exposure.

[JereJo]

Basically what I'm wondering is whether or not there are enough antibodies for the test to detect if ARS symptoms have been present? I'm assuming that antibodies are created during ARS and that symptoms disappear as a result of a high number of those antibodies.

[Teak]

Correction: should have read aren't instead of are.

Rapid test becomes positive when there is enough antibodies for the test to detect.

[JereJo]

Sorry to be a bother, but taking my exposure aside. From a pure medical point of view, does a rapid hiv test become positive after onset of ARS symptoms?

[Teak]

You are having ARS symptoms, you've never had an exposure.

[JereJo]

Thanks for answering so fast Teak. Can you shed some light on this as well? "As I understand the test should become positive if my symptoms were due to ARS, correct? "

[Teak]

You never had an exposure to HIV.