POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: raz64 on February 02, 2013, 07:10:32 am
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Hello,
Many thanks for your time and efforts.
On 31st December, I briefly met a girl at a club and french kissed her. When I returned home I realized that I had a bleeding cut on my lip with some visible blood sign on it.
After three weeks I had some itchy skin rash on my arms which went away after two days. I now have sore throats and am incredibly anxious about the incident and possible HIV exposure.
My life is now actually stopped. I cant stop thinking about it. Should I get tested? I have a PhD viva in few days but I cant prepare myself, I am worried that I will mess my life thinking about this incident...! am I over reacting?
Please advise
Thanks again
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Raz,
You have NOT had a risk for hiv infection and your cut, bleeding lip does NOT change that fact.
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.
Not one person has EVER been infected through kissing and you are NOT going to be the first.
Before you ask the inevitable question about blood in the other person's mouth, unless you're in the habit of repeatedly punching a person in the mouth before you kiss them, there could not possibly be enough blood present to cause concern.
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 OVER A KISS, 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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Many thanks,
So what about these symptoms that I am having after 4 weeks? Sore throat? and brief rashes? do they indicate anything? should i get tested?
Thanks again
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So what about these symptoms that I am having after 4 weeks?
So what about them, Raz? They have nothing to do with hiv. People don't get hiv from kissing.
People get hiv from unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse. Sexually speaking, that's it.
By all means go test if that's what you need to do for your peace of mind. However, you don't NEED to test over a kiss, regardless of whatever details or symptoms you can come up with.
If you feel unwell, see a doctor. Whatever is going on has NOTHING to do with a virus for which you have NOT been at risk.
Kissing is NOT a risk for hiv infection.
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!!!
Ann