POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Smith1975 on December 18, 2012, 07:12:51 am
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Gooday, please asses the following. Risk with a cut on hand and touching nipples of lady with saliva on nipple. Question is risk of saliva into cut on hand. Thanks in advance.
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Smith,
You have NOT had a risk for hiv infection.
Saliva is NOT infectious. Not only is saliva not infectious, but it also contains over a dozen different proteins and enzymes that damage hiv and render it unable to infect.
Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted through unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse where the virus never leaves the confines of the two bodies. Once outside the body, small changes in temperature, and pH and moisture levels all quickly damage the virus and render it unable to infect. Sexually speaking, the only confirmed risks for hiv infection are unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse.
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 FOR HIV BECAUSE YOU CAME INTO CONTACT WITH NON-INFECTIOUS SALIVA, 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
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Thanks Ann, really appreciate your time. So all good to continue with wife based on the above. Have a good day
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Smith, yes you can continue intimate relations with your wife without any further worries about HIV. You did not have a risk.
Get on with your life. Really.