[Question #13935] HIV from lip kissing

1 months ago

Good Evening, Experts

I would appreciate your medical expertise. I am anxious about an event that happened with an unknown female.

I am a pilot and currently on layover in Qatar. I was in one of the bars next to my hotel minding my own business casually eating and drinking with a colleague.

This bar was quite classy, but there were hookers touting for business. They were both African and South American as I heard them talking with potential clients. I am happily married with 2 young boys, so I would never entertain this.

One of the hookers approached me and I instantly dismissed her. She tried again an hour later and was evidently annoyed that I had said no.

Just before going to leave, I stupidly turned my back and the same hooker grabbed me and kissed me on the lips briefly. I was disgusted, so without thinking, put my lips into my drink to clear off anything that may have been on them. A moment later, I then drank my drink.

Question:

Am I clear of HIV from this event?

My family and I will be moving to the Gulf in December as my wife has secured a job here, and of course they test for HIV.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

1 months ago

Welcome to the Forum. Thanks for your questions. It's my pleasure to inform you that being kissed by the commercial sex worker you describe did not put you at risk for HIV on any other STI. STIs, including HIV are not transmitted through kissing. This is the case even if some of her saliva got onto your lips or into your mouth. This is true even if she had a sore on her lips.

In addition, though it does not matter in your case for the reasons I mentioned above, STI and HIV rates in Qatar are very very low. It is statistically very unlikely that she had anySTI.

Please don't worry- there is no reason for concern and no scientific reason for testing for STI, including HIV. EWH

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1 months ago

Good Afternoon, Doctor

Thank you for your time.

Given the circumstances, I did not see the hooker’s lips properly. But it is reassuring that HIV is not spread through kissing.

I do, however, have a fresh burn/ulcer on the roof of my mouth from eating hot food and my lips were chapped having flown in from the cold of the UK.

Am I still at no risk for HIV even with chapped lips; and if her saliva or any genital fluids / blood got into my mouth? (given my burn/ulcer).

Lastly, you will note that I dipped my lips into my drink after she kissed me and without thinking drank the drink. Still nothing to worry about regarding HIV?

Many thanks for your assistance. I apologise if I may be coming across anxious, however, I never thought such an event would ever happen to me.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

1 months ago

Even with chapped lips, this was an entirely no risk event. Drinking the drink that had touched your lips is also no risk. While I understand your anxiety, this was an entirely no risk event. Please don't worry. EWH---

1 months ago

Thank you for your reassurance, Doctor.

As my last question to you, are you able to please provide an education on how HIV is transmitted?

From reading the answers of yourself and Dr Handsfield, there must be shared syringes where blood is injected; or unprotected vaginal or anal sex (and rarely oral penis-mouth). If these do not happen, you won’t catch HIV.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

1 months ago

I'm glad I could be helpful

HIV is harder to transmit than you think. The virus is transmitted sexually through unprotected genital or ano-genital contact with a person with untreated HIV. VERY rarely (less than once in every 10,000 exposures) it may be transmitted through giving oral sex to an infected person and there are no proven cases of HIV which were transmitted through receipt or oral sex. The virus can also be acquired through injection of infected material such as contaminated blood or drugs using a shared needle. Even through the sorts of contact I mention, the majority of exposures to infected persons do not lead to infection.

Please don't worry.

As you know this is the final respnse and the thread will be closed shortly. EWH

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