Qualified Medical Doctor's Answer To Common Questions

Question: Dear doctor, I shamelessly committed the sin of oral sex outside of my happy marriage. I am now feeling terribly guilty, but my question to you is regarding the HIV risk for the receiver of oral sex. Answer: There is little to no risk for transmission of HIV when you receive oral sex. The risk is almost 0%. You will not be infected because of this exposure and can relax. Take care!

Question: I did a sin and committed a risky act which could have lead to HIV transmission 20 years back. I have since repented and been faithful to my wife. I tested recently with a 4th generation test. It was negative. Can I move on with my life? Answer: Yes, you should. A 4th generation test after 3 months is considered to be accurate. After 20 years you can safely depend on the result. No more testing is required. You are not infected with HIV. Be aware!

Question: I think that I may have been infected after a risky exposure 5 days back. I am now suffering from a sore throat. Is this due to HIV? Answer: There are two periods after HIV infection when symptoms can be seen. Initially, symptoms can appear after an acute infection and this is known as Acute Retroviral Syndrome (ARS). These symptoms are the manifestation of the first response of the body to the infection and are similar to flu symptoms. Fatigue, cold, fever, body ache, and sweating. In addition, there may be enlargement of the lymph nodes in different locations of the body. These symptoms will occur 3 to 4 weeks after infection and will last for a week or two.  So, your symptoms after 5 days are unlikely to be due to HIV. You can relax.  Another phase of symptoms occurs when there is full blown AIDS. This is not something that is relevant to you.  You should get tested after a month with an antibody test. Then repeat the test after 3 mon...

Question: Any risk from kissing? Answer: Kissing is a risky activity and you should avoid it with persons of unknown health. Kissing your partner who is healthy is safe. Diseases that can be transmitted by kissing are: Oral herpes Cold Flu Mono Meningitis Gingivitis If there is bleeding with open sores in the mouth then even HIV can rarely be transmitted. Be informed!

Question: I am on PEP after a possible exposure. I did a PCR test after 28 days. It was negative. Is there a need for any further tests? Answer: You must do a 4th generation test after 3 months. There is no other option. Though the PCR test result strongly indicates that you are negative, still this result cannot be taken to be confirmatory.  Your health matters!

Question: Had an exposure 14 days back. Did a PCR on day 10. Should I do any further tests?  Answer: A PCR test done on day 10 is very accurate. However, this test is not confirmatory. You should do a 4th generation test after 6 weeks of exposure to get a confirmatory and conclusive result.  Stay healthy!