[Question #14102] HIV Canker Sore Risk

 
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2 hours ago
Dear Doctors,
Yesterday I made out with a stripper. I have a canker sore in the upper left side of my lip that is not fully healed. My concern is that I may have been exposed to HIV through the canker sore. I was drunk and the room was dark so I couldn't see if there was any blood. I am certain that her mouth came in contact with the canker sore. Just to be safe I took PrEP on demand before going to the strip club.
Is there any chance I may have been exposed to HIV and should go on PEP? When can I resume unproteced sex with my partner with zero chance of infecting her? Thank you for all your help!
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
49 minutes ago
Welcome back to the forum.

Based on this a your previous question a couple months ago, I would say you are way over-concerned about HIV given the nature of the sexual exposure you have described. Neither I nor the large majority of experts would advise HIV PrEP for any exposure that did not include unprotected vaginal or anal sex, and especially not with a female partner. (Male-male partnerships are far more risky.) As Dr. Hook advised last time, in the US the chance a female stripper, massage worker, or even overt sex worker would have HIV is very low, so it is highly unlikely your partner has HIV.

And even if she were infected, kissing has never been reliably reported to have resulted in HIV transmission -- and if you think about how common canker sores are, there must have been billions of kisses with HIV infected person in their presence -- and still no known HIV cases. And on top of all that, HIV PrEP is highly effective. I cannot understand why you would even thin about also taking PEP in this situation and I strongly advise against it. I also advise that you continue unprotected sex with your partner right now and that you not be tested for HIV on account of this event.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD
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