Resolved question:
Hi. I am a 32 yo gay male and always top. Never had unprotected sex. Last time I did a HIV test was 3 years ago. My best fried has just being diagnosed with HIV and I am freaking out. I rarely have oral sex...I would say perhaps 10 over the last year. When I am sucking it is rarely for long and most definitely not until the person cumes (never). I am worried as my dentist said I had gengivites and I could have had it for over a year. I know the only way to ever found out if I am infected is to do a test and I am not going to roll out this option regardless of your answer....I just want to know from you what are the real possibilities of be being infected and if you think I am over reacting as I recently found out about my friend. Thanks
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
HIV- AIDS Specialist
Hello and thankyou for approaching DoctorSpring.
I have gone through your case and understand your concern.
It is very unlikely that you have HIV. If your gingivitis was due to HIV, by now you would have developed other symptoms of HIV, since the gingivitis has been there over a year.
Other symptoms would be, chronic fever, lymphnode swelling, sorethroat, rash, muscle pains, headache, diarrhea, cough, weight loss. None of these symptoms are specific to HIV but tend to occur in HIV patients due to the body immune suppression that the HIV virus causes. It is true that in some cases an oral infection like gingivitis and sorethroat, can be the early manifestation of HIV in acute stage of HIV. But since you have had this for over a year, it is unlikely to be associated to HIV as by now you would have had other symptoms. HIV symptoms take 2weeks to 10 months to set in.
Another, thing in your favor is that you do not take in the semen of the other partner. HIV is present in bodily fluids and you would be exposed to the precum, but the viral load would be much less in the precum as compared to in the semen of an infected person. It has been shown that there is a relationship between the viral load and the chances of getting infected. The more the viral load , higher are the chances of getting infected.
Nevertheless I would advise you to get tested to rule out any possibility of an infection (less likely that you have an HIV infection)
Get the Combo (Antigen/antibody) test for HIV done, 4 weeks or more from the last exposure.
Repeat the antibody test 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks from the last exposure.
You are probably stressed as your friend recently got diagnosed and it is a natural reaction.
I hope this has helped, feel free to follow up.
Thankyou
Thank you for your reply and yes I will do the tests to roll out any doubts. I did not consider the gengivites to be a symptom of HIV but my main concern was with the fact I had gengivites for over one year and in that period I had oral sex...if my chances of getting HIV were considerably higher than someone that does not have gengivites?! When I went to de dentist and had a deep clean in my teeth the gengivites disappeared. My only concern (once I never had unprotected sex) was the oral sex with about 10 people over the period I had gengivites. And as I said and you explained..never had the partners coming in my mouth or even had more than 5 min sucking etc.
Hello,
Oral sex is a low risk sexual activity, but not a zero risk one. It is a fact that having Gingivitis puts you in a slightly higher risk. This is because you could be having small injuries / mucosal damages in your mouth. Still I feel your risk is low. As I said earlier please get the HIV test.
Let me know if I can help you further
Thank you