How high is the risk?

Question

I am a 18 year old male and I had an oral sex (I was passive) with another man. There were some sores on my pennis and on gum that day. One week after having sex I noticed some symptoms bearing a strong resemblence to a flu. I suspect that my partner is HIV-positive - I don't want to say why but there is some significant evidence. I would be very thankful if you informed me how high is the risk of such behaviour. Should I make the test? If yes, then when? 

I hope that everything in my post is understandable - I'm not an English native speaker.

Teak · Accepted Answer

No incident HIV infections among MSM who practice exclusively oral sex. 
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WePpC2072)??Balls JE, Evans JL, Dilley J, Osmond D, Shiboski S, Shiboski C, Klausner J, McFarland W, Greenspan D, Page-Shafer K?University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States 

Oral transmission of HIV, reality or fiction? An update 
J Campo1, MA Perea1, J del Romero2, J Cano1, V Hernando2, A Bascones1 
Oral Diseases (2006) 12, 219–228 

AIDS: Volume 16(17) 22 November 2002 pp 2350-2352 
Risk of HIV infection attributable to oral sex among men who have sex with men and in the population of men who have sex with men 

Page-Shafer, Kimberlya,b; Shiboski, Caroline Hb; Osmond, Dennis Hc; Dilley, Jamesd; McFarland, Willie; Shiboski, Steve Cc; Klausner, Jeffrey De; Balls, Joycea; Greenspan, Deborahb; Greenspan 
Page-Shafer K, Veugelers PJ, Moss AR, Strathdee S, Kaldor JM, van Griensven GJ. Sexual risk behavior and risk factors for HIV-1 seroconversion in homosexual men participating in the Tricontinental Seroconverter Study, 1982-1994 [published erratum appears in Am J Epidemiol 1997 15 Dec; 146(12):1076]. Am J Epidemiol 1997, 146:531-542. 

Studies which show the fallacy of relying on anecdotal evidence as opposed to carefully controlled study insofar as HIV transmission risk is concerned: 

Jenicek M. "Clinical Case Reporting" in Evidence-Based Medicine. Oxford: Butterworth–Heinemann; 1999:117 
Saltzman SP, Stoddard AM, McCusker J, Moon MW, Mayer KH. Reliability of self-reported sexual behavior risk factors for HIV infection in homosexual men. Public Health Rep. 1987 102(6):692–697.Nov–Dec; 

Catania JA, Gibson DR, Chitwood DD, Coates TJ. Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior. Psychol Bull. 1990 Nov;108(3):339–362. 

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. HANSFIELD 

"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 HANSFIELD 

"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 thousands and thousands of observations is that HIV is not spread by oral sex (of any sort)." DR HOOK

XXxYYyZZz · Answer

I was told during a pecial lesson with a doctor in our school, that the risk is high either way and that HIV is transmitted through ''every orifice." This is why I was anxoius. I know now that there is no risk, I tried to write that in my last post (sorry if my sentences are difficult to understand, I am not native speaker). I was just freaking out because of similar to HIV infection symptoms which appeared about one week after my sexual behaviour. I also heard that HIV-infected people feel an ache in their jaws. Is that true? - because this is how I feel now. Maybe it's only my brain but you never know.

ricky_id · Answer

You can visit another forum here in the website btw. We don't discuss over other diseases in this forum.

ricky_id · Answer

Even if your partner was indeed HIV+, you still didn't have a risk. Why don't go consult a doctor? You've been told of your (no) HIV risk in here. They can be because of anything but HIV if this is your only concern.

XXxYYyZZz · Answer

I'm terribly sorry for being so persistent - I believe that I don't have HIV now. Nevertheless, I have some worrying symptoms: my hair is falling out, I feel fatigued and my muscles are aching. Maybe someone would know, if there is any other disease which can be responsible for that? I am asking about it here, because I don't want to visist my doctor since it can be to no avail.

Teak · Answer

Whichever.

XXxYYyZZz · Answer

My GP or psychologist?

Teak · Answer

You don't have an HIV concern. See your doctor.

XXxYYyZZz · Answer

Sorry for repeating my question but I noticed recently that my jaws are aching (maybe it's only an illusion, I don't know) and I feel a bit fatigued. I read widely about the symptoms of HIV infection and these seem to fit in very well. Maybe someone could give me any other reasons for the way I feel lately?

XXxYYyZZz · Answer

Thank you - if there are no cases of HIV transmission this way, I don't have to worry about anything. If it hasn't been for your post, I would be still thinking about it searching for symptoms and freaking out. Thank you very much indeed once again.

XXxYYyZZz · Answer

Thank you, that consoled me much. I was anxious because there are many different opinions spread on the Internet and I met with many different opinions.

ricky_id · Answer

Oral sex, no matter whether your HIV+ or not, with condom or not, with wounds on body parts or not, don't pose HIV risk. No HIV risk means you don't need to test. You're conclusively HIV negative even before the test if this is your only concerned possible exposure.