[Question #11112] Oral sex and nose

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16 months ago
Hello Dr. Hook and Dr. HHH,

Thank you for running this great website. I need your help.

My exposure is as follows: I performed cunnilingus and anilingus on a sex worker, and my nose was rubbing against her vagina, vulva, and anus. I felt some fluid enter my nose. I am very worried about HIV.

I found a recent, similar question on this forum (question 11055) and deduced from Dr. HHH's answers to that question that my HIV risk should be zero. However, in my case, I also performed anilingus, and I decided to ask by myself to be sure.

If there were bleeding wounds and cuts in my nostrils during the exposure, what is my HIV risk from this exposure?

Can I move on without testing for HIV?
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16 months ago
Sorry, I accidentally submitted my questions without writing an appropriate title. I apologize if my title is unclear. Please let me know if anything I've posted is unclear.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
16 months ago
Welcome to our Forum.  Thanks for your questions and your confidence in our service.  I'll be glad to confirm your assessment- the exposures you describe were close no risk.  Most commercial sex workers do not have HIV and most exposures do not lead to infection.  It has been suggested that a handful of persons over the years may have acquired HIV from cunnilingus or analingus but these cases are poorly documented and not unequivocal.  The CDC, which tends to be quite conservative estimates (there are no studies, just as I said, a few possible cases) that if your partner had untreated HIV (unlikely) your risk for infection is, on average, less than 1 in 10,000 (i.e. like performing analingus or cunnilingus on an untreated infected partner daily for more than 27 years).  The presence of cuts, scrapes or abrasions in your mouth or nose would not change this .

Testing is always a personal choice but in your situation, personally I would not bother to test.

I hope this information is helpful.  EWH
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