Can I get HIV after unprotected oral sex with a CSW?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 31-year-old male. I wish to know what are the practical chances of me being infected with HIV from only receiving unprotected oral sex. It happened multiple times in the course of a one-hour encounter with a CSW. There was absolutely no vaginal or anal intercourse. Exactly one month after this encounter, I suffered somewhat from flu and a common cold-type condition. It developed as follows:

Day 1: It started in the afternoon with continuous sneezing (mostly dry, but not entirely)

Day 2: I started feeling a scratchy sensation in my throat. The sneezing lasted but was less frequent.

Day 3: The throat sensation continued, getting worse. Mild coughing with a runny nose though not severe, and little nasal congestion. Mild body aches at times here and there. I feel a slight malaise-type feeling.

Day 4: Throat discomfort and coughing sensation.

Day 5: Constant coughing, throat pain, throat discomfort, breathing problem, getting worse. Deep mouth-inhaling resulting in a cough.

There was no rise in body temperature, no noticeable fatigue, no serious or persistent body ache, no trouble doing usual chores, no unusual body rashes, and no unusual gastrointestinal problem. I visited the GP on the fifth day of this encounter. He examined my chest with a stethoscope and said no serious cough in the chest and that my condition may be from some mild viral attack, nothing serious.

My queries are :

1. What are the chances, based on the encounter described above, of me having HIV assuming my partner was HIV-positive?

2. Are the symptoms being experienced by me HIV related?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Before clarifying your doubts, I just want to let you know a few basic details about HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and its transmission. HIV is spread mainly by having unprotected anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV, sharing needles or syringes of an infected person, or from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. Transmission from homosexual males is more than transmission from a female to a male. HIV can also be affected by receiving blood transfusions and blood products.

About your query, every infection does not need to be related to HIV and having unnecessary anxiety, as does your general physician states. Without knowing the health status of your partner, we cannot judge the acquaintance of the HIV virus. If you are in doubt, you can go for an HIV investigation to confirm this. Without any proper evidence of active infection, there will not be any point in making this diagnosis.

Thank you.