HIV after oral sex

[Dan_weis_2003]

I had a brief oral sex (not longer than a min) with a man, unknow HIV status, and he also performed one on me (not longer than 30 sec) last week. We also kissed briefly. I am married and I wanted to be safe, so I didn't allow for a longer contact. We never had anal sex, and the whole thing was about 30 min.
I never felt his pre-*** in my mouth.

The next day, I started to feel a mild sore throat, and today (a week later), I feel a mild muscle pain, and I noticed a tiny white spot in my throat, and I am worried things may evolve in the next few days!

I am concerned this may be HIV seroconversion.
Please advice me about the risk of getting HIV after this encounter! Should I be worried, or get tested!

Thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum. We get many questions about risk of oral sex on this site so I will do my best to provide you with information to address your concerns but you may also wish to search our site for other posts with similar concern.

I hope you will find it helpful to know that the exposures you describe are virtually no risk for HIV.  For starters, unless you know otherwise, it is very unlikely that your partner had HIV, most persons do not.  Even if he did however, there is little risk.  The quoted figure for HIV risk, if one has oral sex with 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.

As for your symptoms, they are not due to HIV.  The symptoms of the HIV seroconversion (or for that matter, any other STD) would not start within a day of exposure. In fact, most oral STDs are asymptomatic.

Bottom line, your exposures are virtually no risk.  There is no need for concern or for testing.  I hope my comments are helpful to you.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

With all due respect to your doctor, your lingering soreness is more consistent with a viral sore throat than with gonorrhea.  In fact, most gonorrhea of the throat is asymptomatic.  I would also add that ciprofloxacin is no longer recommended for gonorrhea therapy. Sorry to be so contrary.  My original assessment stands.  EWH

[Dan_weis_2003]

Hello Dr. Hook

This is a follow up on my scenario that I posted about 3 weeks ago. I still have that lingering sore throat (very mild, only noticed it when I swallow my saliva) for almost a month now, and I ended up seeing a doctor today (general practioner), my throat was a little red, and the throat swab for stept was negative. I told him about my story, and I emphasis that my sore throat started the next day after giving the oral sex. He decidede to treat it as gonorrhea, and gave me Cipro and azithro.

Now, I wish you don't mind me asking if this is something usually seen after giving oral to a man (sore throat)? I will never know if that was in fact gonorrhea or not, thought I understand it will not show the next day after the exposure.
Finally, if there is any higher risk of getting HIV in my case, if I got this sore throat, whether or not it was STD!

I am very reassured by your initial response to my question about my risk of HIV, but I love to know if there is anything else I should be concerned about regarding this matter. I am very sure that my exposure was brief, not even more than 2 min at most, and there was no semen, and didn't feel any fluids in my mouth.

Regards

[Edward W Hook, MD]

As I said before, no STD has symptoms which begin just a day after sex.  My guess is that your sore throat is coincidental with the exposure of concern and is most likely due to some community acquired, non-STD virus.  EWH

[Dan_weis_2003]

Thanks allot, this is indeed helpful, although I am still puzzled with the sore throat I have one day after that brief exposure, and I still have it ,though very mild, and I still see the white spot in the back of my throat! I actually don't know the other guy well, so should I get treatment for gonorrhea or other STD impirically, as I tend to find it very odd to be a co-incidence to have mild cold (wrong season)!
I will forget about HIV, thanks to your great advise , and I will appreciate your input regarding the related question.
Many thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Your swollen lymph nodes are not due to HIV.  If they concern you, you should seek evalaution by your own doctor.  EWH

[mee105]

dear doc i have swollen lymphnodes 4 about 10weeks now i have had h i v testing done 10 weeks negative could my lymphnodes be from another infection and how long someone with h i v exposure expect their lymphnodes 2 go down thanx.