HIV and HERPES risk

[ali2304]

Hi I wonder if someone could help me.

I had oral sex (gave oral sex to) with a man on 17 July (11 Days ago) and I am concerned. The person I performed the oral sex on is unknown to me and consider them a high risk person. I did not allow them to *** in my mouth but there was precum present. I also had an ulcer in my mouth. My fears are that I have contracted HIV as this is my first sexual encounter with a man.

I have flu like symptoms (no cold but a tickly throat and my hearing has been muffled but no runny nose etc). I did though have blocked sinuses the day before i performed oral sex and am not sure if this is the cause of the flu syptoms (symptoms) or whether it is the first stage of HIV. However the sinus problem is nearly two weeks old now which has gone and only the throat is the problem with a lack of energy.
Today 11 days later I have noticed a red spot inside the cheek of my mouth which is a deep red spot. I got tested four days after performing oral sex and all tests came back negative but they have redone some and am waiting for those as they say the time for some STD's to show was to early. They advised me to wait 12 weeks for the hiv test.

Can you let me know if I have put my self in real danger here and are the symptoms consistent with HIV or if not HIV then HERPES. I am starting to feel like I am going to be positive after the 12 week window.You have a great site here gives people like me somewhere to go for help and support. Keep up the good work. Thanks.Alan

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Your symptoms don't suggest either HIV or herpes.  Symptomatic recurrent oral herpes almost always causes lesions outside the mouth or on the lips; sores inside the mouth are unlikely to be herpes. Lots of people make this mistake, but herpes and canker sores are entirely separate problems.

The risk of catching HIV during any single episode of oral sex, even if your partner were infected, is somewhere around 1 chance in 10,000.  So clearly you don't have big worries in that regard.  A negative HIV test 12 days later indeed is too soon to mean anything, but you don't need to wait 12 weeks for accurate HIV testing; with modern tests, almost everybody with new HIV infection has a positive result by 6 weeks.  Given the brevity of the exposure and lack of ejaculation, you really don't need any other STD testing at all; the risk was too low to worry about.

A final word of advice, which I give routinely to all men who have sex with men or might do so in the future:  Get in the habit of always asking your partners about their HIV status and sharing your own; and do not have sex with those who are positive or hestitate to tell you one way or the other.  Even if safe sex is planned--oral only, masturbation only, or condoms for anal sex--remember that condoms can fail and that in the heat of sexual excitement, intention to use condoms sometimes goes out the window.  In long-term protection against HIV, asking and sharing HIV status is just as important as the other elements of safe sex.

In the meantime, you really don't have any serious worries about HIV or other STDs from the event you describe.

Thanks for the thanks about the site.  Good luck--

HHH, MD

[ali2304]

Thanks for the response. It has eased my mind a lot. If only I could shift this tickly sore throat. I will go for the 6 week test just to be sure and I need to put it to the back of my mind.

Cheers and thanks again

Alan

[wallarookiller]

Try and be more careful in the future and remember that diseases are easily transmittable and your always at risk please try and stay safe.

[ali2304]

Hi

I have had a few problems in the last few days the humming in my ear is continuing to affect me and the red spots have appeared in the other side of my cheek and I am getting pains in my back/sides.

I have been continually stressed since thinking about HIV is it possible I have caused the above with stress or is this another sign of possible HIV infection. Your advice is appreciated.

Thanks

Alan Lowery

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Neither HIV nor any other STD causes such symtpoms--so you'll need to natke your question to some other forum.  This one doesn't deal with any non STD/HIV issues.  As you suggest yourself, stress sounds like a good bet.

[ali2304]

Hi

Thanks for the response. Like I say at 2.5 weeks in now the mind is playing up and I need to work out how to deal with it. If this website wasnt around I think I would have drove myself loopy but it is really good to have somewhere to turn. Thanks.

Like I say at two and half weeks I have had varying symptoms from sore throat, buzzing ears, red spots in the mouth, back pain and neck and scrotum pain and I am just putting two and two together.

Thanks for the advice again and any more doubts I have I will just read your first post and remind myself that the risk is neglagable and that I wont put myself at risk again.

Thanks for the time youve taken.

Cheers

Alan