[Question #9748] HIV risk

29 months ago

Dr. I will get right to my questions and won’t bore you with all my guilt and remorse as to why or how I got into this situation again.

I gave oral sex to unknown person to ejaculation in my mouth. Three hours later I gave oral sex to another guy with no ejaculation, but I sensed a small amount of pre-cum and he also was rough. So here I am 5 weeks out waiting for 6 weeks to test.

I have had no fever but at 2.5+ weeks I had cramps in my legs, a couple of nights of acid reflux and a few days of loose stools. At 4.5 weeks I had Both my toes at the same time cramp on me in the morning??

Two other strange things is that I am getting small bright red pimples on my leg and one on my forearm spaced apart not a rash.

One of my many worries is that as a senior ++ my body is getting less meaty, and I bruise easily. My oral health is excellent however I am worried that my throat lining might have got impaired form the rough guy.

Thanks for your help.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

29 months ago

Welcome back to the Forum. I’ll be glad to comment.

Performing oral sex on a casual partner is a very low, but not no risk activity. You do not know much about your partner’s backgrounds but it is comforting to know that most persons do not have HIV and most of those who do, are on therapy which render them non-infectious to others. Further, in one did happen to have untreated HIV, the risk for becoming infected is less than 1 in 10,000, I.e. resulting in, on average, one infection after performing oral sex on an infected partner daily for nearly 30 years. It is not something I’d worry about. I anticipate that your test will be negative.

The rash you describe sounds nothing like the rask of recently acquired HIV nor does it suggest any STI. I suspect it is unrelated to the encounters you describe.

FYI, your risk of having acquired oral Gonorrhea is much higher than your risk for HIV. When you go for testing, I’d suggest getting a throat swab for Gonorrhea as well, just to be thorough.

I hope these comments are helpful. EWH

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29 months ago

Hi Dr, I need some help understanding the HIV rash. I didn't mention that I have dry skin on my chest. It feels like a little sandpaper not red or itchy. Does the rash usually come with other symptoms?

Also this Sat. is my 6 week time to test. I would like to test a few days earlier like 39 days would that be a problem? I have really stressed over this event and have a negative feeling. I know the test will be the answer but this time it is hard.

One last question, as I mentioned in the first post I am older and had shingles 9 mouths ago and ended up with PNH. would that have any affect for my body fighting this?

Thanks for your expert help.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

29 months ago

You are overly focused on your rash, which is not typical of recently acquired HIV. Most people who have recently acquired HIV do not have a rash. When they do, it is a generalized rash, most apparent on the back and torso, not a rash occurring in separate places on the body. More importantly, that rash occurs in combination with severe sore throat, high fever, and widespread muscle, and joint aches, none of which you report. Further, the symptoms typically occur between one and three weeks following the encounter, not later.

If your rash were due to HIV, your test would be positive from the time the rash appeared onward.

More than 99% of persons with recently acquired HIV will have a positive test ar 4 weeks. Testing at 39 days will provide accurate results.

EWH

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29 months ago

Yesterday I had blood drowned for a complete STD check and it was sent off to thee Lab. They said it could take as much as two weeks for the HIV test to come back. My stress level is off the roof so today six[6] weeks from my last encounter I was able to have a 20 min. blood figure Rapid test. They said it was the latest test that looks for Antibodies and Antigens with a 14-day window period and it was NEGATIVE at my 6 week time frame!!

I will get the lab back and feel comfortable that it to will be neg along with all the other test.

One thing I have learned that oral sex is safe but the term is thrown around and doesn’t seem the encompass what kind or oral one had, Insertive or receptive.

Do you agree the rapid test I took is on par with the lab test at 6 weeks out?

Thanks for your expertise hope this is my last time here.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

29 months ago

There is no excuse for a lab to take 6 weeks to provide test results. In the lab the test takes just a few hours to perform.

Results of combination HIV antigen/antibody tests are fully conclusive any time more than 6 weeks after an exposure of concern. There is much misunderstanding and confusion about how long it takes for results to be reliable, particularly in the internet but the FACT is after 6 week results are conclusive and will not change. Your rapid HIV antigen/antibody test is just as reliable as a lab based test. You can believe your results and hopefully that will allow you to move forward without continuing concern.

The estimated risk for oral sex is as follows- with receipt of oral sex there has NEVER been a proven case of HIV acquisition. OTOH, there is a small risk of acquiring HIV from performing oral sex on an infected partner- the estimate is that, on average less than 1 person in 10,000 will acquired HIV following performing oral sex on an untreated, HIV infected partner (i.e. like performing oral sex on an infected partner daily for more than 27 years). This is low but not no risk. There are cases in which HIV has been acquired from oral sex.

I hope this will help you to move forward. This ends this thread. EWH

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29 months ago

Well I got all my test back including Hep C all NEG!!! My only question is the nurse asked me if its been an hour since I last went to the bathroom. I couldn't really remember'' it about a 45 min drive then a few min wait so just about an hour. Any problems with the test results.??

Time for me to move on.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

29 months ago

Thanks for sharing your results. You can have complete confidence in your results. No need for further tests. Time to move forward without concern.

This completes this thread. Take care. EWH

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