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HIV Prevention (Expert Forum)
Assessment For HIV Transmission
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum is limited to prevention of HIV and to safe sex in general. If you believe you might have been exposed to HIV and want help to judge your risk, would like advice about HIV testing, or have questions about the effectiveness of condoms or the risks associated with specific sexual practices, this is the site for you.
IMPORTANT
No questions will be accepted on the treatment of HIV/AIDS or its complications, viral load, and similar topics. If you have questions about a specific STD other than HIV/AIDS, please visit the STD Forum. Questions that do not pertain to the above topics will be removed from the forum.
If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies. Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE. YOUR PAYMENT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, condom- protected intercourse hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids as well as symptoms of early HIV infection.
No questions will be accepted on the treatment of HIV/AIDS or its complications, viral load, and similar topics. If you have questions about a specific STD other than HIV/AIDS, please visit the STD Forum. Questions that do not pertain to the above topics will be removed from the forum.
If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies. Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE. YOUR PAYMENT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, condom- protected intercourse hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids as well as symptoms of early HIV infection.
Assessment For HIV Transmission
by Tee921, Jun 13, 2008 10:34AM
Hi Doctor
Okay. Yesterday, someone who I believe to be positive placed food from her plate with her used fork ontomine, and I ate it. Please tell me if I could get HIV this way. I dont think I have any open cuts in my mouth but I may have gingivitis, what is my risk, I am so scared!!! Can any saliva left on the food I ate have infected me? I also did not SEE any blood on her fork. Please let me know-WORRIED.
Okay. Yesterday, someone who I believe to be positive placed food from her plate with her used fork ontomine, and I ate it. Please tell me if I could get HIV this way. I dont think I have any open cuts in my mouth but I may have gingivitis, what is my risk, I am so scared!!! Can any saliva left on the food I ate have infected me? I also did not SEE any blood on her fork. Please let me know-WORRIED.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Jun 13, 2008 03:24PM
, Jun 13, 2008 03:24PM
HIV is not transmitted that way. There is no risk. If such exposure could transmit the virus, HIV would not be classified as an STD or blood-borne infection; and AIDS would be a hundred times more comon than it is. Among other things, saliva normally does not contain infectious HIV. And even if visible blood were present, it would make little or no difference. As further evidence, people who live in the homes of HIV infected persons -- routinely sharing bathrooms, towels, kitchens, and eating utensils -- never catch HIV (assuming they aren't also sex or needle-sharing partners).
There are plenty of health risks worth worrying about. This is not one of them.
HHH, MD
There are plenty of health risks worth worrying about. This is not one of them.
HHH, MD
Why not worry instead about health risks that carry much higher risks of harming your health than nonsexually transmitted HIV? Like avoiding getting struck by lightning.
To repeat what I said in my original reply: "HIV is not transmitted that way. There is no risk. If such exposure could transmit the virus, HIV would not be classified as an STD or blood-borne infection; and AIDS would be a hundred times more comon than it is." Blood in the mouth, inflamed gums, etc make no difference. Period. I don't care how worried you are; there is no basis for it. Indeed, this is "totally crazy" on your part (your words) and you can move on.
No more comments, please. That's the end of this thread.