Cunnilingus Risk

[john_024]

Hi there,

I recently had sex with a high risk female sex worker in Thailand (I am male). She performed unprotected oral sex on me and we then had PROTECTED vaginal sex (I did not perform oral sex on her). When changing positions I noticed blood on the condom. I quickly went to the bathroom and noticed blood three quarters of the way up the condom. There was no blood anywhere else. I carefully took the condom off and disposed (not nice, but I subsequently tested the condom by filling with water – condom worked perfectly). I then went back to bed where we had NO further oral or penetrative sex. My concern is regarding residual blood once back in bed. Menstrual blood may have got on my penis (she did masturbate me…possible menstrual blood on her fingers), there was some blood on the bed sheets that I noticed in the morning, possible blood on my penis when urinating, other possible scenarios around residual blood after penetrative sex etc.

Summary – protective vaginal sex, but a worried about residual menstrual blood after the penetrative sex.

Please advise on HIV risk.

Many thanks in advance…….

[RapidRod]

You never had an exposure, that's what the condoms are for.

[john_024]

Thanks for the quick response. I guess seeing the presence of blood scared me a bit. I would not have posted other wise. Thanks again RapidRod.

[Andy Velez]

HIV is a fragile virus. It is not passed in the manner about which you are concerned.

The only confirmed risks for the sexual transmission of HIV are unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse. As long as condoms are worn properly for those activities you will be well protected.

[john_024]

Thanks Andy. So I can assume that an HIV test would be unnecessary?

[Ann]

john,

You only need to test if you're a sexually active adult who never tests. You don't need to test specifically over this NO RISK incident.

Here's what you need to know in order to avoid hiv infection:

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together.

To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST SPECIFICALLY OVER PROTECTED INTERCOURSE OR A BLOWJOB, anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

[john_024]

Thanks Ann. This forum is invaluable. Super fast, succinct, and clear.

[john_024]

Hi there,

I have read the posts on this forum around Oral Sex and specifically cunnilingus. I am absolutely clear on wearing condoms for all penetrative sex, and I am fastidious about this in all situations.

I recently performed cunnilingus on a girl overseas. When I brush my teeth I usually get slight bleeding on my gums.  The time between brushing my teeth and performing this specific act was a few hours. Going through the posts, it is pretty clear that this activity is NO risk in real terms. Given that my gums slightly bleed when brushing is this still a NO risk HIV activity, and if it is not should I get HIV tested for this specific encounter?  Many thanks in advance.

[Andy Velez]

John, I've merged your threads here. It's a rule of the site as stated in the opening thread that members should keep all entries in the same single thread. In the future use only this thread. Thanks for your cooperation.

As to your latest concern, your saliva contains over a dozen elements and proteins which very effectively prevent the transmission of viable HIV through giving cunnilingus. I've never known of a confirmed case of transmission in the manner you are asking about. I don't expect you to make history by becoming the first.

For potential risk in that manner having say a fresh open and bleeding wound is very different from the common kind of gum situation you are describing.

I don't see any need for concern nor for testing on your part.

[john_024]

Thanks Andy for the quick response. Apologies for creating a new thread. In future will stick to the same thread. Regards......

[john_024]

Guys,

Might seem a stupid question, but I have to ask. To my knowledge I have never had a condom breakage. My question is, if a condom breaks during penetrative sex, is it a fairly obvious thing to notice? i.e. can there by tiny rips in the condom not easily detected or is breakage a fairly obvious to notice.

Thanks again in advance...

[Ann]

John,

A broken condom is VERY obvious. Make sure you read through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use them correctly and with confidence. A correctly used condom rarely breaks.

Ann

[john_024]

Thanks...

[john_024]

Hi there,

A few weeks ago I met a girl overseas and we ended up having oral and vaginal sex. The vaginal sex was 100% protected and safe, so I am not concerned here.

Based on my previous posts and the loads of content on this forum there is no risk of getting HIV through performing cunnilingus. I am pretty sure I know what your response will be, but a few hours before having oral sex I burnt my top lip on hot soup I had at dinner. It was essentially just a noticeable red mark just above my top lip. There was no blood, but still a small burn. Would this change the risk profile of getting HIV through cunnilingus with this burn present, and if so is it necessary to get tested ??

I recently had a full STI screen and I know my status is negative.

Many thanks in advance.

PS -  (I know the rule about staying in the one thread, but my last post was 60 days ago, hence then new thread – as per pop up in this site)

[Ann]

John,

I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep everything in one thread. It doesn't matter how long it has been since you last posted in your thread or if the subject matter is different. The sixty day warning pop-up is one you can safely ignore (and we cannot stop it from happening).

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.



Burning your lip on hot soup doesn't change the fact that going down on a woman is not a risk for hiv infection.

Hiv transmission doesn't stand a chance of happening via female genitals to mouth - there are just too many obstacles on the oral route.

The first obstacle is the mouth itself. The mouth is a veritable fortress, standing against all sorts of pathogens we come into contact with every minute of our lives. It's a very hostile environment and saliva has been shown to contain over a dozen different proteins and enzymes that damage hiv and render it unable to infect.

Hiv is a very fragile virus - literally. Its outer surface doesn't take kindly to changes in its preferred environment; slight changes in temperature, moisture content and pH levels all damage the outer surface. Importantly, it needs this outer surface to be intact before it can latch onto a few, very specific cell types and infect. 

Which leads to the second obstacle. Hiv can only latch onto certain types of cells, cells which are not found in abundance in the mouth.

The third obstacle to transmission this way is having hiv present in the first place. The female secretion where hiv has been shown to be present is the cervicovaginal fluid. This fluid is actually a thick mucus that covers and protects the cervix. You are not going to reach this area with your tongue or lips.

The fluid a woman produces when sexually excited comes from the Bartholin's glands, located on either side of the vaginal opening. I have yet to discover one shred of evidence (and believe me, I've looked) that shows this lubricating fluid to have any more hiv present than other bodily secretions such as saliva, sweat or tears. Saliva, sweat and tears are NOT infectious fluids.

So there you have it. Once the results of the serodiscordant studies** started rolling in, what we know about hiv transmission on the cellular level was validated. The only people who were getting infected were those who had unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse. Period. One of the three studies went on for ten years and involved hundreds of couples. That's a lot of nookie.

**There have been three long-term studies of couples where one is positive and one is negative. In the couples who used condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, but no barrier for oral activities, not one of the negative partners became infected with hiv. Not one.

Keep using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, and continue to get regular sexual health check ups, and you'll be just fine. OK? OK.

Ann

[john_024]

Thanks for the comprehensive response Ann.