POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: sandrachang on October 03, 2009, 01:22:15 am
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Despite my username, I am a gay male.
I most recently tested HIV- on 3/1/09. I try to be relatively discerning about my sexual partners (questioning them about their HIV status and STD histories) and only have (always protected) anal sex when I am in a relationship.
My first sexual encounter after the negative test was on 7/3/09 with a guy I met on an online dating website. We chatted for awhile beforehand...he said he was HIV- and STD-free and had not even had anal sex in the last two years. I went over to his place...we made out and got naked and blew each other. He did not ejaculate in my mouth but I did taste a bit of precum. I jerked him off to completion, then masturbated myself to orgasm, and then we parted ways.
I have good oral health and my tonsils were removed a couple years ago, for what that's worth.
Nine days later, on 7/12/09, I woke up with a pretty severe sore throat and an enlarged uvula. No other symptoms of illness. The uvula went down to a normal size after a day but the sore throat persisted for 3-4 more days. It might have been environmental, as I slept with my window open and workers had been tearing up my driveway with a jackhammer, sending some concrete dust into the air. I didn't think much of it at the time.
But then today I was browsing through a "Bareback Hookup" site (just out of morbid curiosity - seriously) and came across this guy's profile! He claims on the profile that he is HIV- but it also says he "takes loads up the ass," and the vast majority of the guys on there are openly poz. Given this reckless behavior, I have good reason to doubt his status.
Should I be concerned? Do you think this warrants an HIV test? I know that receptive oral sex is regarded as very low risk, but am also aware that people who were recently infected with HIV and/or who are not seeking treatment (this guy might have fallen into one of these categories) can have high viral loads and a subsequent higher level of infectiousness. My sore throat nine days later was somewhat unusual - could it have been a symptom of ARS?
I'm guessing (and hoping) my concerns will be dismissed but the shock of seeing his bareback hookup profile has me paranoid about the encounter.
Thanks.
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Sandra,
You don't need to be concerned about hiv in this instance, but you should be concerned about some of the other, more easily transmitted STIs such as gonorrhea. It is totally possible for you to have a gonorrhea infection in your throat and that could have caused the sore throat.
As a sexually active adult, you should be having a complete sexual health care check up at least once a year - and this includes having your throat swabbed if you like giving blowjobs.
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 all three condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.
ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST FOR HIV OVER THIS SPECIFIC 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.
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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Thank you for your advice to my previous question.
I have another question with regards to oral sex.
Last week, I performed oral sex on a gay man. He was not erect for most of the act, and definitely did not ejaculate into my mouth. There might have been some pre-cum but I did not taste any.
He said he was HIV- and very safe and has never had receptive anal intercourse. But you never know.
My concern is that there was a small, visible cut/scratch/abrasion on my inner upper gum, above my incisors. The type of abrasion you get from eating crunchy food. The area around it was slightly inflamed although I don't believe it was bleeding. I believe the cut occurred earlier in the day, prior to the blowjob. The area remained slightly inflamed for 24 hours following the blowjob and then was healed.
I understand that "poor oral health" can magnify the risk of HIV infection from a blowjob. In your opinion, does this situation fall into that category? I imagine abrasions like this must be extremely common. Am I being overly sensitive?
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That "injury" you're concerned about is minor stuff and the sort of thing that closes up very quickly even though it may not appear to the eye to have done so.
Your saliva contains over a dozen elements and proteins which very effectively prevent the transmission of viable HIV if it is present.
I don't see any cause for concern nor for testing about this incident.
Cheers.