POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: miss1308 on May 22, 2012, 02:45:26 pm
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Hi I'm writing you because I'm paranoid, scared and worried at the same time. I kissed a guy 2 weeks ago and I'm not aware of his HIV status. I had a bleeding gums when this happened. Internet publications caused panic. In most of them is said that kissing with presence of blood, bleeding gums or open wounds in mouth could cause HIV transmission. I contacted doctor in clinic for curing AIDS, she told me the same. Two weeks after this exposure I have swollen lymph nodes in groin.
I read on few internet sites, that kissing is not a risk regardless bleeding gums, wounds, etc. Now I'm confused what is right and are swollen lymph nodes have something with HIV in my case. I also live in country with low rate of HIV, but I can't stop being scared.
I would really appreciate you opinion. Thank you very, very much.
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Miss,
HIV is a fragile virus, it is transmitted in very particular ways. Those ways are:
Unprotected vaginal and anal sex;
Sharing contaminated injecting equipment such as needles and syringes;
In some cases from HIV positive mother to her unborn or nursing infant.
Kissing is absolutely not a risk for HIV transmission.
Please take the time to read our Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0). It contains links to our lessons on HIV transmission.
MtD
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No one in the history of the HIV pandemic has been conclusively documented as having gotten HIV through kissing. Saliva contains over a dozen elements that inhibit HIV and render it inactive. You will not get HIV through kissing.
It baffles me why some sites maintain obsolete or inaccurate information when we have studied this virus for so long.
The sexual risks for HIV are:
Unprotected anal and vaginal sex.
That is all.
*modified for typo
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Thank you very much for your answer. Most people are concerned about kissing because they read same things I did and many of them have dental problems.
Is it possible that there wasn't documented case of HIV transmission through kissing because it is hard to detect how did some people become infected, I mean maybe some of them were infected through kissing but they don't how did they get it.
Is it conclusive that HIV is not transmitted in this way even with bleeding gums or wounds in mouth? I'm sorry for so many questions but I'm concerned because of swollen lymph nodes and feeling sick 15 days after.
Thank you once more.
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Thank you very much for your answer. Most people are concerned about kissing because they read same things I did and many of them have dental problems.
Is it possible that there wasn't documented case of HIV transmission through kissing because it is hard to detect how did some people become infected, I mean maybe some of them were infected through kissing but they don't how did they get it.
Is it conclusive that HIV is not transmitted in this way even with bleeding gums or wounds in mouth? I'm sorry for so many questions but I'm concerned because of swollen lymph nodes and feeling sick 15 days after.
Thank you once more.
It is absolutely certain that HIV has not been transmitted via kissing. I see your point regarding patient report - but even were patient report after transmission sound science (it's not,) we have almost twenty years of lifesaving drugs that have allowed people to lead healthy, sexually active lives with HIV - often with partners who are not HIV positive.
There have been no fewer than three long term studies of serodiscordant couples (where one is positive and the other is negative) which ran for ten, five and three years.
During that time the couples used a condom for anal and vaginal sex, yet no barrier at all for oral - and they most certainly kissed.
With the exception of a handful of cases where condoms were not used for anal and vaginal sex, not a single negative partner seroconverted. Not one.
Saliva provides an excellent barrier against HIV, and the mouth in general is a hostile environment insofar as HIV is concerned. Temperature, pH, the presence of oxygen all work to deactivate HIV - along with my aforementioned enzymes and proteins that exist in saliva.
This web site has a terrific "LESSONS" section that details HIV transmission and uses only the state of the art, current and verified scientific foundations. You will read there that kissing is absolutely no risk for HIV.
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It is absolutely certain that HIV has not been transmitted via kissing. I see your point regarding patient report - but even were patient report after transmission sound science (it's not,) we have almost twenty years of lifesaving drugs that have allowed people to lead healthy, sexually active lives with HIV - often with partners who are not HIV positive.
There have been no fewer than three long term studies of serodiscordant couples (where one is positive and the other is negative) which ran for ten, five and three years.
During that time the couples used a condom for anal and vaginal sex, yet no barrier at all for oral - and they most certainly kissed.
With the exception of a handful of cases where condoms were not used for anal and vaginal sex, not a single negative partner seroconverted. Not one.
Saliva provides an excellent barrier against HIV, and the mouth in general is a hostile environment insofar as HIV is concerned. Temperature, pH, the presence of oxygen all work to deactivate HIV - along with my aforementioned enzymes and proteins that exist in saliva.
This web site has a terrific "LESSONS" section that details HIV transmission and uses only the state of the art, current and verified scientific foundations. You will read there that kissing is absolutely no risk for HIV.
I really appreciate your opinion. I spent some time reading this forum, as you said it's terrific. You helped me a lot, my fears are almost gone. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH! ;-) all the best.
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I apologize on this question, but I would really appreciate your opinion about it.
I read on this forum that HIV is not transmitted through toothbrush, and I strongly believe in what people say here, regardless information on other sites where they say it is possible to get infected through toothbrush or razor.
For peace of mind I would like to hear your opinion on the following situation: I broke my tooth and few months later I noticed that is bleeding when I brush it (slightly like when you have bleeding gums) I wanted to check with tootbrush is it still bleeding (and it was when I touched tooth with tootbrush) but I realized my roomate used my toothbrush few minutes before I did.
I really don't understand anymore can HIV live on toothbrush or razor, is there possibility of infection from these two things, I mean is it virus active enough to infect someone from toothbrush or razor? I read many different articles and I'm confused and I would like to inform myself and learn something correctly. And if there is no possibility to get infected this way, why is it like that? Thank you very much..
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HIV is a fragile virus. When exposed to the air outside of the body small changes in temperature and pH and moisture levels quickly damage and render the virus unable to infect.
It is not passed from environmental surfaces such as toothbrushes, utensils, food, doorknobs and toilet seats, among the many objects people worry about needlessly.
There is no need for further concern over your latest incident. Nor any need for testing.
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While I was shaving my legs I put razor on the edge of the tub and there was some blood. I immediately continued shaving and cut myself. Am I at risk? Blood on the edge of the tub (the place where I left for a second my razor) was from pearson that used the tub maybe an hour before me.
Information on the internet confuse me, I know that HIV is not transmitted through inanimate objects and that it cannot survive long outside the body but they also say that it can stay active much longer in wet conditions as in my situation the blood was mixed with some water.
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No, the mere wetness at the tub would still not make contact with someone else's blood in that setting a risk. You are once again worrying needlessly.
Get on with your life. There was no risk.
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Thank you, Sir! I really appreciate your opinion. I was just scared because I cut myself and read on the internet that in wet conditions Hiv can survive long....
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Do yourself a big favor and stop surfing the internet. All you will find there is more to feed your worst fears and all to no good purpose.
You do not have an HIV problem. Get on with your life.