Coincidence after oral exposure

[pironi]

Hi Doctor

I've read a lot of info regarding oral risk of hiv exposure but I am still unsure. Anyway here's my story:

Had an unprotected oral encounter with a white female back in April (UK) I performed cunninlingus
for about 2-3 minutes. Immediately afterwards I regretted those actions and straight away started stressing
about hiv.

Two weeks after this exposure i had unprotected vaginal sex with my girlfriend. Now here's where the coincidences start. I'm well aware that stres can do strange things to the body and 4 weeks after my initial exposure I experienced an aching shoulder - quite uncomfortable when putting on car seat belt etc.

AFter 6 weeks I experienced gradual onset of testicular pain - now I have had similar type of (idiopathic) testicualr pain in the past few years. The pain subsided after a day or two (as it had in the past). However, a lesser, uncomfortable sensation returned about a week ago and has been ever present since.

All this might not be so worrying had not my gorlfriend started to suffer symptoms during what would usually be the window period. ABout 6 weeks after the inital exposure and therefore 4 weeks after our unprotected encounter she complained of wrist pain which lasted a few days. A week later and she's complaining that her period is overdue (it started about 7 days late). She also gained some pimples on her face.

She's concerned enough to have booked an apointment with her GP to find out about what she thinks are hormonal problems - but I can't belive this is purely coincidence - all the time lines seem to add up and the symptoms experienced are sometimes conected with hiv infection. Ok so neither of us had sore throat, fever or rash, but as far as I can make out more people don't experience the seroconversion illness than do.

I guess i can't get it out of my head that vaginal secretions contain hiv and therefore there must be a real risk via this route

thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum. I reviewed your earlier interactions on the HIV community site and see that you are having trouble believing that oral sex is not a meaningful risk factor for HIV but in fact, that is the case.  HIV is present in genital secretions, that is vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculatory secretions and male ejaculate.  Despite that fact, there are NO well documented cases of persons getting HIV through oral sex- ZERO, NONE.  There are a number of complex reasons why the mouth and oral cavity is a hostile environment to bacteria and viruses which help to substantiate this observation.  does that mean that there will never be a case when HIV is transmitted through oral sex, no but it puts in the same sort of risk probability as being struck and harmed by a meteorite from space, i.e. much less than your risk for getting hit by lightning.  Thus, unless you are worried about meteorites, I would not worry about the exposure you describe either.  After all, remember, you do not know that your partner had HIV and in all likelihood she did not.   I notice you don't mentioned having been tested and if these fears are plaguing you as they appear to be, my suggestion is to get tested after promising yourself that you will believe the result.  

As far is this all coincidence, yes and no.  My sense is that your anxiety and perhaps guilt over the exposure you describe are making you far more attuned to the sorts of discomforts we all have on a daily basis, thus amplifying both their presence and leading you to link them to the exposure you mention.  I suspect you would not if you were not feeling so worried about this.

Take care.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Coincidence yes.

The nature of your testicular discomfort does not suggest an STD.  EWH

[pironi]

Sorry Doc

What do you mean when you say coincidence yes and no?

thanks

[pironi]

Wise words - thanks.

But could you comment on the symtpoms i mention - especially the testicualr involvemnt - might that not be somehting very insidious? Not sure if tesstes pain is linked to hiv but i have heard that hiv has been known to migrate to this area?

thanks