POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Someone I Care About Has HIV => Topic started by: lpd19852001 on October 14, 2012, 02:07:06 pm
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My HIV positive boyfriend and I have been intimate since we met about five months ago, and I've been trying to learn as much about the virus as I can in that time. We went to see his doctor together recently and his viral load is extremely low (less than 10 copies/mL if I remember correctly? I didn't know exactly what that meant but I understood that it's very good...). Regardless, we continue to pratice safe anal sex.
I'm a little worried that I'm being too relaxed about our other sexual practices, though. My boyfriend has HPV and has very clear genital/anal warts. The anal warts he's had removed, but the genital warts we're waiting on for another two months. I just recently started giving him oral sex without a condom, which I understand would be very low risk normally since his viral load is low and he never ejaculates in my mouth--but could my contact with the genital warts affect my risk of contracting HIV? Likewise, should we be having anal sex at all (even with a condom) if he still has genital warts on his penis?
Like I said, I just want to make sure that these genital warts don't multiply my risk of contracting HIV when I perform oral sex on him. I read that viral loads can be higher at the location of an STI on the body and not necessarily in the blood--since that's what's going in my mouth, I'm concerned. Any help would be appreciated!
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lpd, you should not be giving him oral sex without a condom while he has warts on his penis. The virus that causes genital warts (HPV) has been implicated in various oral cancers. However, the warts will not increase your hiv risk - but do you want to risk oral cancer?
Likewise, the warts will not increase your hiv risk during anal intercourse, provided he is wearing a condom.
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totally agree with Ann here. You don't want to have HPV in your mouth. Wait until your partner wart is completely gone before oral sex without condom. You don't want to have unnecessary risk to your health.
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Thanks for the tips--this is just what I wanted to know. One more question: is it safe to touch him in that area while we're being intimate? I realize that statistically speaking I might have HPV already, either from him or a previous partner, but I'd hate to spread something from his penis to my own penis or anal region with my fingers or hands (ex, if I touch his penis and then later insert my fingers into my own anus). I know that with HIV this risk is virtually non-existent, but what about warts/HPV?
Hope I'm not asking too many questions. Thanks again for the help!