[Question #11387] Follow up
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14 months ago
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Dear Doctors,
I wish to follow up on a question from two years ago, #11693. The advice from Doctor Handsfield was reassuring and I consciously didn't ask any fellow-ups at the time. I did not test and moved on with life.
Since that event, I have been and continue to be in a strictly monogamous relationship, two years on.
Recently - within the last month- I have been having bouts of constipation coupled with a dry mouth and occasional tingling/salty sensation of the tongue and headaches. I wished to check if this would raise any concerns of an infection from an STD /blood born virus from that event in February 2022. Having read it over even to remind myself, giving unprotected cunnilingus and protected vaginal sex and the answers to that situation are plentiful on this forum. So the only real concern for me recently is thinking about the bite to my lip, which left a visible red wound for a few days though it did not noticeably bleed at the time or after. I would have imagined that my blood as the recipient of this lip bite would have been more of a risk for her but I'm probably overthinking this too much.
Like many I'm prone to stress and anxiety so appreciate the sensations of all the above or heightened when returning to this but would appreciate your advice.
Many thanks
I wish to follow up on a question from two years ago, #11693. The advice from Doctor Handsfield was reassuring and I consciously didn't ask any fellow-ups at the time. I did not test and moved on with life.
Since that event, I have been and continue to be in a strictly monogamous relationship, two years on.
Recently - within the last month- I have been having bouts of constipation coupled with a dry mouth and occasional tingling/salty sensation of the tongue and headaches. I wished to check if this would raise any concerns of an infection from an STD /blood born virus from that event in February 2022. Having read it over even to remind myself, giving unprotected cunnilingus and protected vaginal sex and the answers to that situation are plentiful on this forum. So the only real concern for me recently is thinking about the bite to my lip, which left a visible red wound for a few days though it did not noticeably bleed at the time or after. I would have imagined that my blood as the recipient of this lip bite would have been more of a risk for her but I'm probably overthinking this too much.
Like many I'm prone to stress and anxiety so appreciate the sensations of all the above or heightened when returning to this but would appreciate your advice.
Many thanks
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
14 months ago
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Welcome back. Your question 21 months ago was no. 9018 -- but that was one of four previous questions. All of them reflect anxiety about HIV way above reasonable for the various sexual exposures you have described. This is another along the same lines.
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Although various websites and other resources sometimes list biting as a potential route of HIV infection, there in fact has never -- to my knowledge -- been a single case documented to have resulted from a bite by an HIV infected person. And every partner and situation you have described involved people who are very unlikely to have HIV. I would guess that over 20 years, not one person in a million with a sex life and the partners you have described would catch HIV -- especially in the UK or other countries of Western Europe or North America. So none of this changes my advice in no. 9018.
As for your symptoms, they don't even hint at an HIV infection. Perhaps it will also help you to know that in the 20 years of this forum and our preceding one, with thousands of questions from persons concerned about possible HIV risks, not one has yet turned out to have been infected. You will not be the first! If and when it happens, undoubtedly it will be from a genuine high risk exposure and not the sorts events you have described. (Think unprotected anal sex with a known partner, or between men who have sex with men.)
I hope this reply has provided some additional reassurance. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
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14 months ago
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Thanks Doctor I appreciate the reply.
So just to confirm- the salty drip in mouth / taste doesn't cause concern in relation to any of these events?
I've had full bloods done by general prac on Wednesday.
Many thanks
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
14 months ago
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In my 50+ years of practicing medicine, I don't think any patient has ever described a symptom like salty taste or drip. It doesn't suggest HIV or any other STI, or any other serious health problem that I can think of; and your blood test results should be reassuring, assuming everything was normal. But if the taste continues and/or you remain concerned, return to your doctor for in-person advice.---
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