Question about risk?

[ukmale2011]

Hi,
I have a question as to whether or not I have a high risk of having contracted HIV.
A week ago I had sex with a woman who had for a number of years in her past worked as an escort (probably not a better agency sort, as she was from Poland likely a trafficked sort sadly). We had protected sex but I did give her unprotected oral sex and fingered her (no obvious cuts but do bite my nails and have some nicks on them around the tips). I'm really nervous now as I dont know her sexual health and dont have her number or surname so I cant track her down to ask and now I'm really rather worried that I might have picked up HIV which I'm assuming she may well have considering her past history. I intend to get a test but I doubt they can do anything/find anything in a test at present? Any advice out there for a worried individual? Thank you

[Andy Velez]

We always make our evaluations in terms of potential risk as if the person you were with is HIV+.

So with that in mind I can say you were not at risk in anything you are presenting. You used a condom which is exactly what you are supposed to do for intercourse. They provide very effective protection against HIV transmission. Giving oral is not a risk. Your saliva has over a dozen elements and proteins which very effectively prevent the transmission of viable HIV.

The part of the vagina which may hold HIV+ fluids is far up in the cervical area of the vaginal cavity. Your tongue/mouth would not be reaching there nor would your fingers.

There's no need for HIV testing over this incident. Keep using a condom everytime for vaginal/anal intercourse and you will be well protected against the sexual transmission of HIV.

Cheers.

[Ann]

UK,

You have not had a risk for hiv infection. Please excuse the long post, but we may as well cover all bases thoroughly right now.  

Protected intercourse is just that - protected. Condoms have been proven to prevent hiv infection. There have been long-term studies of couples where one is positive and one is negative. In the couples who used condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, but no barrier for oral activities, not one of the negative partners became infected with hiv. Not one.

Going down on a woman is not a risk for hiv infection. Hiv transmission doesn't stand a chance of happening via female genitals to mouth - there are just too many obstacles on the oral route.

The first obstacle is the mouth itself. The mouth is a veritable fortress, standing against all sorts of pathogens we come into contact with every minute of our lives. It's a very hostile environment and saliva has been shown to contain over a dozen different proteins and enzymes that damage hiv.

Hiv is a very fragile virus - literally. Its outer surface doesn't take kindly to changes in its preferred environment; slight changes in temperature, moisture content and pH levels all damage the outer surface. Importantly, it needs this outer surface to be intact before it can latch onto a few, very specific cell types and infect.  

Which leads to the second obstacle. Hiv can only latch onto certain types of cells, cells which are not found in abundance in the mouth.

The third obstacle to transmission this way is having hiv present in the first place. The female secretion where hiv has been shown to be present is the cervicovaginal fluid. This fluid is actually a thick mucus that covers and protects the cervix.

The fluid a woman produces when sexually excited comes from the Bartholin's glands, located on either side of the vaginal opening. I have yet to discover one shred of evidence (and believe me, I've looked) that shows this lubricating fluid to have any more hiv present than other bodily secretions such as saliva, sweat or tears. Saliva, sweat and tears are NOT infectious fluids.

So there you have it. Once the results of the serodiscordant studies started rolling in, what we know about hiv transmission on the cellular level was validated. The only people who were getting infected were those who had unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse. Period. One of the three studies went on for ten years and involved hundreds of couples. That's a lot of nookie.

Fingering, regardless of cuts or hangnails or bitten nails or whatever is also not a risk for hiv infection. Not one person has ever been infected this way and you won't be the first.

You need to understand that anyone you come across in daily life may be hiv positive. ANYONE. Here's what you need to know in order to remain hiv negative:

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 THESE SPECIFIC CONCERNS, 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