Semen in the eyes

[Toropi_]

Gay man here.

Hooked up with another guy. No anal, just oral, body contact, rimming and some frotting.

But when he ejaculated, his fluid was on my face and some of it got into eyes. My eyes were red for a few hours and went back to normal the next day.

I am usually on prep but I ran out of the medication. I was on prep last week but stopped because I ran out. I was without prep for 3 days or so. The I restarted my prep after getting it from pharmacy and had been back on it for 2 days before this happened.

This guy told me he had been barebacking (one of the reasons why I didn't have anal with him) with random people.

Am I at a risk here? Should I ask for PEP?


From what I've read, semen in the eyes is not effective way of transmitting the virus and the virus dies when exposed to air. But I've also read there have been confirmed cases where blood got into someone's eyes and they got seroconverted. How? If the virus in the blood gets exposed to air? And why semen in the eyes considered low risk but blood is not? When they both contain the virus.

[Jim Allen]

From what I've read, semen in the eyes is not effective way of transmitting the virus and the virus dies when exposed to air.

Exposure to the environment is only one of many barriers, but yes, it plays a role. As an example, it is one of the reasons why needle stick injuries outside of the healthcare environment have never resulted in HIV transmission. 

why semen in the eyes considered low risk but blood is not?

Neither of these would be HIV risk to you. Zero. 

A bit of blood on your eye isn't going to result in HIV transmission, neither will semen and never has. Poor route, exposure to the environment, lack of quantity needed etc, etc, etc.

Your confusion might be related to the theoretical risk in healthcare settings, for example; arterial blood spray directly into the eye.  However, even in occupational settings with large volumes of blood containing a high viral load, and levels not found in semen, I only know of a single confirmed and unique laboratory case and it doesn't apply to you. There were a tiny handful of suspected cases mostly from the 90s with an absence of any phylogenetics to confirm and nothing in the last 20+ years, however, none of this applies to you or your situation.

So you had no HIV risk unless this guy somehow was in urgent need of medical care,  pissing pure blood directly from his penis into your eyeball and even if that unlikely and never happened situation did happen to you, the HIV risk would be near zero and I would tell you to move on with your life. 

Am I at a risk here? Should I ask for PEP?

No, and no.

I am usually on prep but I ran out of the medication. I was on prep last week but stopped because I ran out. I was without prep for 3 days or so. The I restarted my prep after getting it from pharmacy and had been back on it for 2 days before this happened.

That's fine, continue to take the PrEP. Get a routine STI & HIV screening every three months, if possible. Talk to your healthcare provider about vaccination against HPV, Hepatitis A & B and use condoms.

Please don't post about this again, thank you!

Here's what you need to know to reduce your HIV risks:
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse correctly and consistently, with no exceptions. Consider talking to your healthcare provider about PrEP as an additional layer of protection against HIV

Keep in mind that some sexual practices described as safe in terms of acquiring HIV still pose a risk for other easier-acquired STIs. So please do get tested at least yearly for STIs, including but not limited to HIV, and more frequently if condomless intercourse occurs.

Also, note that it is possible to have an STI and show no signs or symptoms; testing is the only way to know.

Kind regards

Jim

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[Toropi_]

Thanks. Appreciate the detailed answers.

[Jim Allen]

You're welcome.