Aa
Scared as usual
Last Saturday, I had protected vaginal sex with a woman. I thought at the time our relationship would lead to a long term thing since we had been dating for about two months. She told me she was HIV neg but I still used a condom. We had no oral sex but had mutually masturbated each other. I now know she has a commitment phobia and is backing out. So we won't be getting tested together as I had originally thought. Otherwise I would not have had sex with her. Now I'm freaking out. Here are my questions about my HIV risk, if any:
1. If I touched my eyes, the inside of my nose, lips or mouth or tip of my penis with my hand that had some vaginal secretions on it, am i at risk. 2.When I took the condom off by hand and touched my eyes, inside of my nose, mouth or lips or touched the tip of my penis am i at risk. 3. I think she may have used my toothbrush and I may have used it too. I was told that to be at any risk for HIV from a toothbrush, she would have had to use it and then given it to me to use immediately. Like from one mouth to another mouth. If it didn't happen that way, I am not at risk. Is this true?
1. If I touched my eyes, the inside of my nose, lips or mouth or tip of my penis with my hand that had some vaginal secretions on it, am i at risk. 2.When I took the condom off by hand and touched my eyes, inside of my nose, mouth or lips or touched the tip of my penis am i at risk. 3. I think she may have used my toothbrush and I may have used it too. I was told that to be at any risk for HIV from a toothbrush, she would have had to use it and then given it to me to use immediately. Like from one mouth to another mouth. If it didn't happen that way, I am not at risk. Is this true?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome back to the forum and thanks for your question.
However, I am concerned that you continue to have unrealistic fears of HIV. The take-home messages from both the discussion we had several weeks ago on this forum and the one on the international forum are that HIV is rare in sexually active women in the US and that condoms work. HIV is difficult to transmit and is simply never acquired by the minor, indirect exposures you mention, like eye-touching. And people generally don't lie when asked directly about HIV, so your partner's statement she is HIV-free further reduces the chance she is infected. So all things considered, this was a zero risk event with respect to HIV. to your specific questions:
1-3) These exposures make no difference. They would not result in HIV transmission even if your partner were infected.
In case you are interested, here is a thread that discusses the biological reasons why HIV is not transmitted by the sorts of exposures you have described. Read it all; the important information appears in the follow-up discussion.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1119533
Finally, please note that MedHelp sets a maximum of 2 questions every 6 months on each of the professionally moderated forums. Any new question on this forum before October would be deleted without reply and without refund of the posting fee. The purpose is to prevent domination of forums by anxiety-driven questions much like yours.
Your exaggerated fears of HIV are somewhat irrational and not normal. If they continue, you may wish to consider counseling. I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.
HHH, MD
However, I am concerned that you continue to have unrealistic fears of HIV. The take-home messages from both the discussion we had several weeks ago on this forum and the one on the international forum are that HIV is rare in sexually active women in the US and that condoms work. HIV is difficult to transmit and is simply never acquired by the minor, indirect exposures you mention, like eye-touching. And people generally don't lie when asked directly about HIV, so your partner's statement she is HIV-free further reduces the chance she is infected. So all things considered, this was a zero risk event with respect to HIV. to your specific questions:
1-3) These exposures make no difference. They would not result in HIV transmission even if your partner were infected.
In case you are interested, here is a thread that discusses the biological reasons why HIV is not transmitted by the sorts of exposures you have described. Read it all; the important information appears in the follow-up discussion.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1119533
Finally, please note that MedHelp sets a maximum of 2 questions every 6 months on each of the professionally moderated forums. Any new question on this forum before October would be deleted without reply and without refund of the posting fee. The purpose is to prevent domination of forums by anxiety-driven questions much like yours.
Your exaggerated fears of HIV are somewhat irrational and not normal. If they continue, you may wish to consider counseling. I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.
HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
First, HIV is hard to catch through the mouth, which is one reason oral sex is so low risk, even swallowing semen or blood. Breast milk is minimally infectous, but not enough for transmission by a few drops. Even when babies are nursed by HIV infected mothers, only about 15% become infected -- and that's after an average of 6 months of swallowing a few ounces of milk every day. This information does not conflict with previous advice on this fourm.
Ignore any further "what if" questions that come to mind. I won't have any further comments or advice on this thread. I hope you will indeed seek professional assistance for your OCD.
Ignore any further "what if" questions that come to mind. I won't have any further comments or advice on this thread. I hope you will indeed seek professional assistance for your OCD.
I agree part of my problem is my OCD about HIV. In fact, I am going to seek counseling. One last question. I did suck her nipples and don't remember any breast milk in my mouth. But what if I did get some in my mouth. I have seen conflicting posts on this website and I know it is not an unusual question. In a 2008 post, you and your colleague thought getting breast milk in your mouth my pose a slight risk Both of your later posts say its no risk. Have both of you now concluded that it is no risk to an adult?
You are reading content posted in the HIV - Prevention Forum
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
