[Question #6425] Vigorous Nipple Sucking - HIV Concern

14 months ago

Hi Doctor,

I have researched the forum and it looks like there is no risk for HIV from vigorously sucking on a woman’s nipples if she was lactating.

1). Is that still true ?

2). I went to a strip club in MIAMI and indulged in a deep vigorous nipple sucking of a stripper. I also had a canker sore on my tongue. Am I at a risk of HIV due the canker sore and also if she was LACTATTING ?

3). That was my only exposure, and that’s how it will be if I ever go to a club again. I do NOT and will NOT indulge in any UNPROTECTED encounter. So this kind of nipple sucking ever will warrant a HIV testing ( canker sore on my tongue and stripper is lactating ) ?

4). Since this was my only exposure from my last negative HIV test, do I need to refrain from an unprotected intercourses with my regular partner ?

Regards

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

14 months ago

Welcome back. Once again, you're asking questions not materially different than in your many past threads. It won't surprise you that the answers have not chenged.

1) Yes, still true. There are no reports of anyone catching HIV by mouth-breast contact, no matter how vigorously and regardless of whether or not the woman was lactating. When a newborn is nursed by an HIV infected mom, swalllowing a few ounces of milk daily, only about 15% of kids catch HIV, and in general only after 3-6 months. So what can the risk be by oral exposure to a few drops. On top of that, of course the vast majority of sexually active women in the US or western Europe, including sex workers, don't have HIV anyway.

2-4) There was no risk from this event, regardless of your canker sore, and even if the stripper had HIV, which probably she did not. There is no need for testing or to refrain from sex with your partner. Of course you're welcome to be tested if it would hellp convince you not to worry, but if somehow I were in your situation I wouldn't get tested and would continue unprotected sex with my wife without worry.

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

HHH, MD

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14 months ago

Thanks doctor, it’s all clear now. My concern wasn’t with the ingestion of the milk as I know stomach acids are very strong, I was thinking more about the few drops of milk coming in contact with my canker sore (which was few days old anyways and most probably healing ). But the same analogy too applies to kissing which is also not known to cause HIV even if the partner have cuts/canker sores.

I will heed to your advice and move on.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

14 months ago

In general, oral exposure to infected fluids, including blood, is exceedingly low risk -- despite the fact that sores and inflammation in the mouth (cankers, inflamed gums, etc). So there must have been billions of exposures in presence of such inflammation, but still no known cases of HIV transmission from such events.---

14 months ago

One last thing and it may not be related to your area of expertise - if she were lactating then that would have been very apparent. Right ? My hands were all over her and I didn’t feel anything on my fingers.

For a long time I didn’t feel anything in my mouth either , it’s just towards the end I felt a sensation in mouth as if something came out of here nipple. May be she wasn’t lactating at all ?

You may close the thread after your response. Thanks and Happy Holidays !!!

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

14 months ago

If she were lactating, you'd have gotten a mouthful of milk from sucking. But even that would not have been significantly risky.

I'm glad this discussion has been helpful; thanks for the thanks. But I'm to going to suggest you really needn't use the forum for such questions. All your many questions were essentially the same. Just remember this: If an unprotected penis (i.e. no condom) does not enter another person's vagina or rectum, there is no risk of sexual transmission of HIV. If and when you again become conserned about such exposures as oral sex, hand-genital contact, massage, kissing, body rubbing, etc, you will be able to exactly predict the reply you will receive. You also can re-read your previous threads for clues to see what sort of replies you can expect.

Happy holidays to you as well!

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